visit kwazulu natal

14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in KwaZulu-Natal

Written by Karen Hastings and Carri Wilbanks Updated May 26, 2022 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

Dramatically beautiful and surprisingly diverse, KwaZulu-Natal, in the country's northeast, packs in many of South Africa's most popular attractions, despite its small size. Here, visitors can enjoy the World Heritage-listed Drakensberg mountains , with their jagged-backed peaks and spectacular scenery; Durban's golden beaches and surf breaks; a thriving Zulu culture ; and exhilarating wildlife adventures.

KwaZulu-Natal is also home to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park , the oldest game park in Africa, as well as pampering private game reserves, where lucky visitors might spot the Big Five (leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, and rhino). Along the coast, nature lovers can explore the stunning scenery of iSimangaliso Wetland Park , another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and dive the coral reefs of Sodwana Bay .

Find out why this is the province where South Africans love to play, with our list of the top attractions in KwaZulu-Natal.

1. The Drakensberg

2. hluhluwe-imfolozi park, 3. isimangaliso wetland park, 4. sodwana bay national park, 5. kwa cheetah breeding project, 6. nambiti private game reserve, 7. sani pass, 8. durban's golden mile, 9. the kwazulu-natal battlefields route, 10. tatham art gallery, pietermaritzburg, 11. oribi gorge nature reserve, 12. nelson mandela capture site, 13. valley of 1000 hills region, 14. midlands meander, map of tourist attractions in kwazulu-natal.

The Drakensberg, from an Afrikaans word meaning "Dragon Mountains," is a place of breathtaking beauty and one of the most popular destinations in the country. Jagged-backed peaks rise above dense forests and deep valleys, and cascades feed clear mountain streams. This spectacular region includes uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park , a UNESCO World Heritage Site with soaring basalt peaks that are some of the highest in the country and San (Bushmen) rock paintings, as well as Royal Natal National Park with the Amphitheatre , a five-kilometer-long rock wall with one of the world's highest waterfalls tumbling from above.

The 3,282-meter-high Mont-aux-Sources rises beyond, and is the source for some of the nation's mighty rivers. Nearby, visitors can see herds of eland, bearded vultures, and superb Bushman rock paintings in Giant's Castle Game Reserve.

Another highlight of the region is Cathedral Peak with some of the region's most beautiful mountain scenery. This area is also home to the venerable Cathedral Peak Hotel , which has been pampering guests since 1939. Outdoor enthusiasts come to these velvety green mountains to fly-fish for trout, hike and bike the wilderness trails, rock climb, abseil, and raft the mountain rivers. To best appreciate the dramatic landscapes, visitors can soar over the area in a hot air balloon.

Established in 1895, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (formerly Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve) is the oldest game park in Africa and one of only a few parks in KwaZulu-Natal where visitors can see the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino. Including the wildlife corridor connecting the two sections of the park, it covers more than 96,000 hectares and is famous for its rhino conservation efforts–both black and white rhino are found here. The park lies deep in Zululand and was once the royal hunting grounds of King Shaka.

Today, the park offers a rewarding safari experience with an impressive diversity of flora and fauna and typically less crowds than Kruger National Park . The Hluhluwe section in the park's north is mountainous, while the iMfolozi section reveals sprawling savannah with taller trees along the riverbanks.

In addition to the Big Five, wild dog, cheetah, zebra, blue wildebeest, hippo, hyena, and more than 300 species of birds are among the animals that make their home here. The best game viewing is in the cooler and drier months from May through October, however the summer brings lush growth and newborn animals. Guests can opt to stay within the park in modest chalets, safari tents, and a range of lodges. More lodging options are available just outside the park.

About 250 kilometers from Durban, World Heritage-listed iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park) protects the largest estuarine system in Africa. iSimangaliso means "miracle and wonder" in Zulu, and the name is fitting for this beautiful biodiverse park. The eight interconnected ecosystems here include coral reefs, croc-filled rivers, lakes, swamplands, savanna, and coastal dunes.

Thanks to this diversity of habitats, wildlife is abundant and varied. All in one day, visitors can snorkel, dive, or kayak along coral reefs, where leatherback and loggerhead turtles swim; spot an incredible array of birds; and see leopard, buffalo, zebra, and rhino on a game drive. The park is also home to the highest concentration of crocodiles and hippos in Africa.

Also in the park, secluded Kosi Bay offers empty seascapes of sun-bleached shores and shimmering lagoons. The area is also known for its traditional fishing techniques–fish are trapped here in woven baskets.

On the Elephant Coast, Sodwana Bay National Park is one of South Africa's best diving destinations . Part of iSimangaliso Wetland Park , the reserve lies on the shores of the Indian Ocean with South Africa's southernmost coral reefs shimmering just offshore with schools of colorful fish. Divers can see caves, pinnacles, and both hard and soft corals, as well as an incredible array of aquatic life, including lionfish, crayfish, moray eels, rays, and many species of sharks.

Whale sharks also swim these waters. Loggerhead and leatherback turtles nest on the beaches here, and nature lovers can join turtle tours to see them in season. Apart from SCUBA diving and snorkeling, other popular things to do here include sports fishing for marlin and sailfish, horseback riding on the beach, and hiking the coastal nature trails.

At the Kwa Cheetah Breeding Project, inside the gates of Nambiti Private Game Reserve , animal lovers can enjoy exhilarating hands-on interactions with these graceful creatures and help out a worthwhile cause at the same time. The experience begins with an educational presentation about the plight of the cheetah. Visitors are then able to pat the animals, take photos with them, and watch a demonstration of their incredible speed.

Depending on the residents at the time, visitors may also see other cats such as servals, caracals, and African wildcats. The successful captive breeding program here seeks to increase the cheetahs' gene pool and prepare the animals for a life in the wild. The project only runs one tour a day to protect the animals from excessive stress, so advance bookings are highly recommended.

Address: Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal

Official site: http://www.cheetahinteraction.com/

About a three-hour drive from Durban , near the spectacular Drakensberg mountains , Nambiti Private Game Reserve offers exciting guided safari adventures in search of the Big Five: leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, and rhino. Scenery here ranges from sprawling savannah and grasslands, with unimpeded views of game, to lush riverine bush, and the wildlife is plentiful. In addition to the Big Five, the reserve protects more than 40 different species of game such as cheetah, zebra, kudu, and hippo, as well as a diverse array of birdlife.

Day visitors are welcome, and those who wish to stay overnight can choose from six self-catering or full-board five-star lodges, some with swimming pools, as well as a raised luxury tented camp. This popular private game reserve also lies near the KwaZulu Battlefields , so visitors can combine a guided historical tour with their wilderness experience.

Official site: http://www.nambiti.com

Sani Pass is one of South Africa's most spectacular mountain roads. Connecting Kwazulu-Natal with the Kingdom of Lesotho, the pass is an eight-kilometer-long unpaved road that climbs to heights of up to 2,876 meters. The road runs through the Mzimkulwana Nature Reserve, with scenery ranging from towering rock outcrops and green-cloaked mountains to dizzyingly steep ravines.

Only vehicles with four-wheel drive are allowed on the road between the two frontier posts; on foot it takes between two and three hours. To the north of the pass is 3,482-meter-high Mount Thabana Ntlenyana , the highest peak in southern Africa. The pass takes its name from the San (Bushmen), who fled over here to escape from their white and black persecutors.

Check weather conditions before setting out, as snow and ice can make the pass even more challenging.

Durban, South Africa's third largest city, is a multicultural melting pot. A great way to get a feel for this salt-tinged port city is to take a stroll along Durban's Golden Mile, a busy beachfront promenade connecting some of the city's top things to do . Entertainment venues, high-rise hotels, shops, and restaurants line this sun-splashed strip, and the golden beaches here lure surfers, swimmers, and sun bathers.

Segway tours offer a speedy way to zip between the attractions here, which include Moses Mabhida Stadium ; uShaka Marine World ; and Mini Town , a tiny replica of Durban complete with a miniature airport, rail network, and harbor scene. Lifeguards patrol the beaches year-round.

During the 19th century, central Zululand, now part of KwaZulu-Natal, was the site of many historic battles between the Zulus, Boers, and British. Today, sightseers can explore this rich history on the Battlefields Route. Knowledgeable guides take visitors to see battle sites, museums, memorials, and forts and share fascinating details and descriptions of these historic events.

Two of the most famous battlefields lie a short drive from each other: At Isandlwana, visitors will learn about the clash between 22,000 Zulu warriors who prevailed against 1,350 British troops in one of the first battles of the Anglo-Zulu War. About 16 kilometers from here, Rorke's Drift is the site where British troops defended a mission station from the attack of more than 3,000 Zulu warriors.

Vryheid is the largest town on the Northern Natal Battlefields Route, and takes in the scene of clashes between British forces and Zulus and between British forces and the Boers. Blood River Heritage Site is another popular Zulu-Voortrekker battle site near the town of Dundee . After the annexation of Zululand and its incorporation in the province of Natal, the British authorities built a number of forts in the region, including Fort Nongqai in Eshowe.

Ideally, sightseers should try to focus on a particular era or region of the battlefields route as the sites are numerous. Many guides offer pickup points in cities such as Durban or Johannesburg .

In KwaZulu-Natal's friendly capital, Pietermaritzburg, the Tatham Art Gallery is a must-see for art lovers. The gallery lies opposite the City Hall in a building once occupied by the Supreme Court and exhibits an impressive collection of both European and South African art with a focus on art from KwaZulu-Natal. The gallery has a remarkable collection of work by 19th- and 20th-century European artists, including pictures by Sisley and Sickert and drawings by Picasso, Braque, Chagall, and Moore. Temporary exhibitions add to the eclectic works here and support many local artists.

Other popular tourist attractions in the capital are the African Bird of Prey Sanctuary , Butterflies for Africa , the Voortrekker Museum , and the KwaZulu-Natal National Botanic Garden with many rare and endangered plant species.

Address: Box 321, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal

Official site: http://www.tatham.org.za

This stunning canyon is in the southern portion of KwaZulu Natal, about 120 kilometers south of Durban and 25 kilometers from the holiday destination of Port Shepstone , which is known for its great surfing and swimming beaches and lots of sunshine.

The Oribi Gorge is 24 kilometers long and 165 meters deep and dominated by sandstone cliffs and ravines that were cut by the sometimes wild Umzimkulwana River flowing through it. The reserve is a bird-watcher's paradise, with more than 250 species of birds identified here, including five types of kingfisher and seven different eagles. There are also leopards, baboons, and small antelopes in the vicinity.

The gorge can be visited on a day trip or overnight, as there is lodging in the reserve. Things to do here include multiple hiking trails, as well as ziplining and whitewater rafting. And then there is the adrenalin pumping Wild Swing over the gorge itself that will really test your fear factor. This is the highest swing in the world, and you can reach speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. To partake, you are secured by a full body harness before leaping off the top of a waterfall and swinging back and forth across the 165-meter-deep gorge.

The Nelson Mandela Capture Site marks the spot where Mandela was arrested on August 5, 1962. Although not his first arrest, this one led to his incarceration for the next 27 years. The site consists of a visitor center and an impressive sculpture that was erected at the spot near the town of Howick in 2012, which was the 50th anniversary of Mandela's arrest.

The 3D-style sculpture is the creation of artist Marco Cianfanelli and is made up of 50 steel poles between five and nine meters tall. They have been arranged in the ground to recreate an image of Mandela's face when seen from a certain distance. Up close, the image disappears, and you just see steel beams planted in the landscape, which is part of the artist's concept. There is also a visitor's center museum at the site and some stalls selling colorful handicrafts.

The Capture Site is located just outside of Howick off the N3 highway that runs from Durban to Johannesburg. Take the Tweedie turnoff to Lions River and make a right onto the R103. From here, follow the signs.

Address: Mandela Capture Site, R103, Howick, 3290

Official site: https://www.thecapturesite.co.za/

Between Durban and Pietermaritzburg is the Valley of 1000 Hills region. The lush valley is filled with rolling green hills set against a deep blue African sky. It is also where the Umgeni and Msunduzi rivers meet, and there are opportunities for plenty of outdoor activities.

Whether you just want to go on a gentle walk or a more strenuous hike or bike ride, there are trails throughout the valley. If you want a more cultural experience, pay a visit to one of the local villages that offer tours to visitors. You can witness a dance performance, eat a traditional South African meal, or even visit with a medicine man.

Head north from Pietermaritzburg to the Midlands Meander route. Running for about 80 kilometers in length from Rietvlei in the east to Nottingham Road in the west, this route is best known for its arts and crafts scene.

What began in 1985 with six studios showcasing local weaving, pottery, and painting has grown into a proper arts and crafts trail through numerous picturesque villages with more than 160 places to shop, eat, sleep, and play.

From woodcrafters to leatherworkers, cheese makers to metalworkers, there is so much to experience on this route. Looking for more active adventures? Hiking, mountain biking, birding, and horseback riding are just some of the other things to do.

The route is also scenically beautiful, with the Drakensberg Mountains looming in the background and a green and gold landscape at your feet.

Official site: https://midlandsmeander.co.za/

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Johannesburg: Jo'burg is South Africa's version of New York City. It's the country's financial hub and also a Mecca for fashion, art, and culture. From the vibrant street art of the Maboneng Precinct to the important history lesson at the Apartheid Museum , our list of Top-Rated Attractions in Johannesburg delivers the scoop on exploring this fascinating and diverse city with so many great things to do. It is also home to excellent restaurants and hotels for all budgets and styles of travelers, from couples to families.

Swaziland: Check another country off your list with a visit to the Kingdom of Swaziland. KwaZulu-Natal borders this landlocked country surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. There are plenty of things to see and do in this mountainous kingdom, and our Top Rated Tourist Attractions in Swaziland article will let you in on it all. From hiking past waterfalls to game drives in national parks, Swaziland has much to keep you busy.

More on South Africa

18 Top Things to Do in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province

Lushly green and bordered by the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean , KwaZulu-Natal is sometimes referred to as the Garden Province. It was created after the end of apartheid in 1994 with the merging of Natal Province and KwaZulu, a previously separate Zulu homeland. Today, the province is famous for its rich Zulu culture, for vibrant cities like Pietermaritzburg and Durban , and for exceptional natural wonders that range from the mountains of the Drakensberg to the pristine beaches and estuaries of iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Sample Durban’s Authentic Curry Restaurants

Durban is home to the largest population of Indians in sub-Saharan Africa and is heavily influenced by Indian culture. Accordingly, the city is famous for its curry restaurants , which serve authentic Indian staples alongside uniquely South African reinventions like the bunny chow (a half-loaf of bread that’s hollowed out and filled with fragrant curry). Options range from no-frills restaurants like Goundens —beloved for its mouthwatering mutton bunnies—to more upmarket eateries like The Little India Restaurant on Musgrave . The latter specializes in traditional Indian cuisine and caters well for vegetarians.

Discover Sharks and Water Parks at uShaka Marine World

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uShaka Marine World is Durban’s top attraction on TripAdvisor. Located on the Golden Mile beachfront , the aquarium features large tanks filled with aquatic creatures from all over the world. Unique experiences allow you to feed the stingrays or dive in the shark tank. In addition to the aquarium, the complex also boasts a reptile house, a slew of boutiques and restaurants on the open-air Village Walk, and a water park complete with splash pools and supertubes for the ultimate family day out. Tickets to the water park and aquarium cost 214 rand per adult ($15.25) and 174 rand per child ($12.40). 

Catch a Rugby Game at Kings Park

Rugby is one of South Africa’s great passions, so attending a game is a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture. KZN’s premier team is the Cell C Sharks. They compete in the Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments and host home games at Kings Park Stadium in Durban. If you’re lucky, watching a game might also mean seeing current and future Springbok stars in action. Sharks alumni who have played for the national side include JP Pietersen, Patrick Lambie, and Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira. Tickets for Sharks fixtures can be bought directly on the team’s official website . 

Surf World-Class Waves Along the Coast

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Some of South Africa’s best surf spots are found along the province’s endless coastline. Top spots for experienced surfers include Green Point (a beautiful right-hand point-break located just north of Scottburgh) and New Pier (a pro-worthy location on Durban’s north coast with firing left and right-hand breaks). Beginners and intermediate surfers are also spoiled for choice. Best of all, surfing in KZN is defined by the warm water and abundant sunshine—no need for the thick wetsuit you’ll depend on elsewhere in the country. The best season for surfing is the South African winter (June to September). 

Look for the Big Five on a Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Safari

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Located a 90-minute drive from Richards Bay, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is probably the most famous safari destination in KwaZulu-Natal. It was established in 1895, covers some 960 square kilometers and—whether you opt to self-drive or join a guided safari—allows spotting the Big Five (including lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino). For the best chance of seeing a leopard, join a night safari . The park is also home to some of the continent’s rarer predators, with cheetahs and African wild dogs being particular highlights. The entrance costs 240 rand for adults and 120 ran for children. 

Go Birding on a Lake St. Lucia Boat Cruise

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Lake St. Lucia is the focal point of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, one of South Africa’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites . It stretches over 80 kilometers in length, is part of Africa’s most extensive estuarine system, and supports an astonishing variety of wildlife. This includes more than 50 percent of all the water birds in KwaZulu-Natal, making it a prime destination for birders. Boat safaris give you the chance to spot fish eagles, herons, egrets, kingfishers, and flamingos, with a total of 526 different recorded species. Great white pelicans breed on the lake in winter, while migrants from Europe and Asia arrive in summer. 

Step Off the Beaten Track at uMkhuze Game Reserve

uMkhuze Game Reserve is the ideal safari destination for self-drive enthusiasts who want to step off the beaten track and discover a wilder side of KZN. The park offers simple accommodation , a handful of well-maintained waterhole hides, and miles of uncrowded roads that wind their way through open grassland and tangled riverine forest. Potential wildlife sightings range from the Big Five (including both black and white rhino) to cheetahs, wild dogs, hippos, and more than 420 bird species. Gate times are from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter. 

Learn to Scuba Dive at Sodwana Bay

 Jessica Macdonald

South Africa is one of the best dive destinations in Africa . If you’re not yet certified, there’s nowhere better to learn than Sodwana Bay. Located on the Mozambican border in northern KZN, this sleepy beach resort has a wide choice of dive operators to choose from, all offering professional courses with international agencies like PADI or SSI. The conditions are ideal for beginners, with warm water, minimal current, excellent visibility, and lots of shallow dive sites. Most importantly, the reefs are breathtakingly beautiful, with plenty of coral and abundant marine life. Recommended operators include Adventure Mania and Da Blu Juice . 

Swim With Sharks at Aliwal Shoal

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Once you have your scuba certification, head south to Aliwal Shoal. The Shoal boasts beautiful reefs, two excellent wrecks, and some of the best shark diving in the world. Operators like Aliwal Dive Centre use bait to attract sharks to the boat. Then, you can slip into the water and admire them as they swim around you, often within touching distance. Although some companies offer cage dives, most of the shark diving on Aliwal Shoal is cage-free . The main species is the oceanic blacktip, while occasional visitors include dusky, thresher, and bull sharks—and in summer, the mighty tiger shark. 

Get Your Adrenalin Pumping at Oribi Gorge

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An hour’s drive inland from Port Shepstone takes you to Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve. The reserve is known for its spectacular scenery—and as a haven for adrenalin junkies . The adventure starts with the world’s highest gorge swing, which sees you take a 55-story plunge from the top of Lehr’s Falls into the gorge at a rate of 75 miles an hour. Afterward, you can test your mettle with a 360-foot abseil down the canyon’s sheer cliffs; or with a whitewater rafting expedition along the Umzimkhulu River. Paintball, zip-lining, and hiking are also offered by Wild 5 Adventures . 

Soak Up the Sun on Idyllic South Coast Beaches

  VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm/ Getty Images

KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast stretches from Amanzimtoti (just south of Durban) to Port Edward and includes some of the province’s best beaches and resort towns. Seven of these beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status in recognition of their cleanliness, water quality, and superior amenities. These are Trafalgar and Marina Beaches near Southbroom, Ramsgate Beach, Hibberdene, and Lucien Beaches near Margate, Southport Beach, and Umzumbe Beach. Wherever your South Coast adventure takes you, top beach activities range from sunbathing and sandcastle building to surfing, snorkeling, and fishing. Permits for fishing and spearfishing can be bought at any Post Office.

Go Tiger-Fishing on Pongola’s Jozini Dam

Jessica Macdonald 

The tigerfish has to be near the top of any recreational fisherman’s Africa bucket list. Prized for their ferocity and strength, these striped beauties are only found in a few places in South Africa, of which the most famous is Pongola’s Jozini Dam (the third-largest in the country). You can hire a boat and venture out onto the lake by yourself, but the easiest way to fish for tigers is with an experienced guide from outfits like Pongola Game Reserve or Shayamoya Lodge . August to November and March to May are considered the best seasons for tiger fishing. 

Learn About South African History on a Battlefields Tour

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KwaZulu-Natal was the location of several of South Africa’s most important conflicts, and you can learn all about them with a tour of its various battlefields. The most famous are probably Rorke’s Drift , Isandlwana, and Blood River. Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana are located just 10 miles from each other and saw simultaneous conflicts during the Anglo-Zulu War in January 1879. Blood River marks the place where 470 Voortrekkers prevailed against an army of more than 10,000 Zulus in 1838. At all three sites, museums and guided tours tell the story of the men who fought and died there. 

Test Your 4x4 Skills With a Trip Up Sani Pass

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Sani Pass is a legendary 4x4 route that crosses over the Drakensberg Mountains from Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal to Mokhotlong in Lesotho. The gravel road is grueling, with sheer edges, steep gradients, and patches of snow and ice in winter. You’ll need nerves of steel and plenty of off-road driving experience to make it to the top—but the scenery is some of the most beautiful in the world. Expect panoramic valleys and towering peaks, and keep an eye out for rare bearded vultures soaring overhead. At the top lies Sani Mountain Lodge and the Highest Pub in Africa. 

Hike Amidst Breathtaking Mountains in the Drakensberg

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The Drakensberg Mountains wind their way through several South African provinces, but one of the most popular areas (the Royal Natal National Park ) is in KZN. The park is filled with peaks and valleys, waterfalls, mountain lakes and gorges. Its most notable feature is undoubtedly the Amphitheatre, an astonishing cliff face that stretches for five kilometers and rises to heights of more than 4,000 feet. The Tugela Falls (the second-tallest in the world) plunge from the top. The best way to explore the park is on foot, with short , medium , and multi-day hikes to suit all interests and abilities. 

Pay Your Respects at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site

Darren Glanville/ Flickr.com/ CC BY-SA 2.0 

On Aug. 5, 1962, apartheid police finally succeeded in arresting a young Nelson Mandela on the road outside Howick in KwaZulu-Natal. The arrest would ultimately lead to the future president’s 27-year imprisonment and, as such, was a landmark moment in his life story. Today the capture site is marked by a monumental sculpture made up of 50 tall steel columns. When viewed from the right angle, they come together to create an image of Mandela’s face. To reach the sculpture, you must walk along a winding pathway, meant to represent Madiba’s long walk to freedom. 

Get Your Cultural Fix in Pietermaritzburg

Janek Szymanowski/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0

Although Durban is the province’s largest city, Pietermaritzburg is the capital. It is home to several places of cultural interest, including the KwaZulu-Natal Museum , the uMsunduzi Museum , and Tatham Art Gallery . At the KwaZulu-Natal Museum, you can explore the region’s history from the origins of humankind to the European settlers. It also has one of the world’s most important collections of Zulu craft objects. The uMsunduzi Museum is particularly worthwhile for those with an interest in Voortrekker history and the Anglo-Boer War, while Tatham Art Gallery displays a valuable collection of local, South African, and European artworks. 

Experience Zulu Culture at Shakaland Traditional Village

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For the most immersive insight into traditional Zulu culture, pay a visit to Shakaland . This recreated Zulu kraal is located 45 miles from Richards Bay and offers day tours and overnight experiences. You can take part in traditional activities, including beer-drinking ceremonies, spear-throwing tournaments, pottery-making, and sangoma (or medicine man) rituals. If you choose to stay overnight, you’ll be treated to authentic ethnic dishes at the village’s Shisa Nyama restaurant, followed by a display of Zulu dancing. Choose a double or family room with full board and all activities included for around $225 per person.

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KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa’s most African province, has everything the continent is known for – beaches, wildlife, mountains and accessible ethnic culture. South Africans are well acquainted with KwaZulu-Natal’s attractions; it’s the leading province for domestic tourism, although foreign visitors haven’t quite cottoned on to the incredible amount packed into this compact and beautiful region. The city of Durban is the industrial hub of the province and the country’s principal harbour. British in origin, it has a heady mixture of cultural flavours deriving from its Zulu, Indian and white communities. You’ll find palm trees fanning Victorian buildings, African squatters living precariously under truncated flyovers, high-rise offices towering over temples and curry houses, overdeveloped beachfronts, and everywhere an irrepressible fecundity.

Brief history of KwaZulu-Natal

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To the north and south of Durban lie Africa’s most developed beaches, known as the North and South coasts: stretching along the shore from the Eastern Cape border in the south to the Tugela River in the north, this 250km ribbon of holiday homes is South Africa’s busiest and least enticing coastal strip. However, north of the Tugela River you’ll find some of the most pristine shores in the country. Here, along the Elephant Coast, a patchwork of wetlands, freshwater lakes, wilderness and Zulu villages meets the sea at a virtually seamless stretch of sand that begins at the St Lucia Estuary and slips across the Mozambique border at Kosi Bay. Apart from southern Lake St Lucia, which is fairly developed in a low-key fashion, the Elephant Coast is one of the most isolated regions in the country, rewarding visitors with South Africa’s best snorkelling and scuba diving along the coral reefs off Sodwana Bay .

KwaZulu-Natal’s marine life is matched on land by its game reserves, some of which are beaten only by the Kruger National Park, and easily surpass the latter as the best place in the continent to see both black and white rhinos. Concentrated in the north, the reserves tend to be compact and feature some of the most stylish game-lodge accommodation in the country. Most famous and largest of the reserves is the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, trampled by a respectable cross section of wildlife that includes all of the Big Five.

Since the nineteenth century, when missionaries were homing in on the region, the Zulus have captured the popular imagination of the West and remain one of the province’s major draws for tourists. You’ll find constant reminders of the old Zulu kingdom and its founder Shaka, including an excellent reconstruction of the beehive-hutted capital at Ondini and the more touristy Shakaland near Eshowe. The interior north of the Tugela River was the heartland of the Zulu kingdom and witnessed gruesome battles between Boers and Zulus, British and Zulus, and finally Boers and British. Today, the area can be explored through Battlefield tours, a memorable way of taking in some of South Africa’s most turbulent history.

From the Midlands, South Africa’s highest peaks sweep west into the soaring Ukhahlamba Drakensberg range, protected by a chain of KZN Wildlife reserves. The area’s restcamps are ideal bases for walking in the mountains or heading out for ambitious hikes; with relatively little effort, you can experience crystal rivers tumbling into marbled rock pools, awe-inspiring peaks and rock faces enriched by ancient San paintings.

KwaZulu-Natal experiences considerable variations in climate , from the occasional heavy winter snowstorms of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg to the mellow, sunny days and pleasant sea temperatures a couple of hundred kilometres away along the subtropical coastline, which offers a temperate climate year-round. This makes the region a popular winter getaway, but in midsummer the low-lying areas, including Durban , the coastal belt and the game reserves, can be uncomfortably humid.

Tailor-made travel itineraries for South Africa, created by local experts

7 days  / from 4800 USD

Cape Town and Garden Route - a luxury guided tour

Cape Town and the Garden Route have it all - a fascinating culture, safaris, chocolate and wine tasting, and much more. Discover the coastal city of Cape Town and the Peninsula before heading out to the Garden Route with Knysna and Mossel Bay, where you'll experience some game drives.

15 days  / from 4000 USD

The Cape Peninsula and Safaris in Kruger and Pilanesberg

Wildlife in South Africa is still truly wild, a fact that you'll be able to discover in this fascinating two weeks trip. Enjoy whale watching in Cape Town and first safaris in Aquila before heading up north: the famous Kruger and Pilanesberg national parks with all its wildlife await.

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Explore the North of South Africa: Sun City and Madikwe game reserve

For those short on time, staying close to Johannesburg may make sense. On this trip, you'll arrive and depart in Johannesburg and then transfer to the theme park Lost City before continuing to Madikwe for a few days of game drives to spot plenty of wildlife.

Despite their defeats in battles with the Boers and the British during the nineteenth century, the Zulus have remained an active force in South African politics and are particularly strong in KwaZulu-Natal. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), formed in 1975 by former ANC Youth League member Mangosuthu Buthelezi and currently the country’s fourth-largest political party, has long been associated with Zulu nationalism and draws most of its support from Zulu-speaking people. The IFP and ANC were originally allies in the fight against apartheid, but the IFP’s ardent nationalism soon proved to be a major hassle for the ANC, who responded with attacks on opposing IFP members. A bitter and violent conflict between the two parties ensued during the 1980s and 1990s, which, according to some, claimed around twenty thousand lives. Although the fighting is now restricted to isolated – and increasingly rare – incidents, the political rivalry continues. It is the ANC, however, which has gained the upper hand in KwaZulu-Natal and is currently in control of the provincial legislature.

The South African president, Jacob Zuma, a Zulu from KwaZulu-Natal, has played an important role in trying to end the violence between the ANC and IFP. He often makes speeches in Zulu, and has retained strong support among his people despite his controversial political career.

The South Coast, the 160km seaboard stretching from Durban to Port Edward on the Eastern Cape border, is a ribbon of seaside suburbs linked for most of its length by the N2 and R102 roads, running side by side. In the winter months it’s much warmer and sunnier along this stretch than on any of the beaches between here and Cape Town. Away from the sea, the land is very hilly and green, dotted with sugar-cane fields, banana plantations and palm and pecan nut trees. Note that many beaches shelve steeply into the powerful surf, so only swim where it’s indicated as safe.

Margate, 133km from Durban , is the transport and holiday hub of the area, with plenty of resorts lying to the east and west of it. The highlight of the South Coast, however, lies just inland, where Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve has lovely forest hikes, breathtaking views and good-value accommodation.

The sardine run

Around June or July, the South Coast is witness to the extraordinary annual migration of millions of sardines moving northwards along the coast in massive shoals. They leave their feeding ground off the Southern Cape coast and move up the coast towards Mozambique, followed by about 23,000 dolphins, 100,000 Cape gannets and thousands of sharks and game fish, attracting fishermen from all over the province to join in the jamboree. The shoals appear as dark patches of turbulence in the water, and when they are cornered and driven ashore by game fish, hundreds of people rush into the water either to scoop them out with their hands or to net them. For updates on shoal coordinates and other information of use for sardine-spotting, call the Sardine Hotline on 083 913 9495 or visit shark.co.za .

KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast, the 80km stretch along the coast north of Durban from Umhlanga Rocks to the mouth of the Tugela River, is also known as the Dolphin Coast. The combination of a narrow continental shelf and warm, shallow waters creates ideal conditions for attracting bottlenose dolphins, which come here to feed all year round. Though the chances of sighting a cetacean are fairly high, you’d be unwise to base a visit solely around this possibility.

Less tacky and developed than the South Coast, the North Coast attracts an upmarket breed of holidaymaker, especially to the main resort of Umhlanga Rocks, which is within easy striking distance of Durban . While the Dolphin Coast is still pretty much dominated by whites, the inland towns of Tongaat and KwaDukuza, linked by the old R102 road, have substantial Zulu and Indian populations, with Indian temples at Tongaat and the Shaka memorial at KwaDukuzu. Also on the R102 is the grave of one of the ANC’s best-loved leaders, Albert Luthuli, at Groutville.

The evocatively named Valley of a Thousand Hills (1000hills.kzn.org.za) makes for a picturesque drive along the edge of densely folded hills where Zulu people still live in traditional homesteads, and which visitors rarely venture into. However, the area is only worth a special trip if you’re not exploring the KwaZulu-Natal interior, where scenes like this occur in abundance. While the valley, 45km from Durban , is best suited to touring in your own car (take the N3 from Durban , following the Pinetown signs), there are daily tours from Durban offered by Tekweni Eco Tours that take in the highlights. The trip to the valley and back can be done in half a day, but there are sufficient attractions laid on along the route to extend it to a full day’s outing.

For most travellers, the verdant farmland that makes up the Midlands is picture-postcard terrain, to be whizzed through on the two-hour journey from Durban or Pietermaritzburg to the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg. There’s little reason to dally here, unless you fancy taking in the region’s quaint, English-style country inns, tea shops and craft shops, several of which are on the so-called Midlands Meander, a route that weaves its way around the N3 on back roads between Pietermaritzburg and the Mooi River 60km to the northwest.

As you head north out of Pietermaritzburg on the N3 through the Midlands, you’re roughly tracing the last journey of Nelson Mandela as a free man before his arrest in 1962. On the run from the police, Mandela had been continuing his political activities, often travelling in disguise – a practice that earned him the nickname of the “Black Pimpernel”. Howick, 18km northwest of Pietermaritzburg , is recorded as the place where his historic detention began; the actual spot is on the R103, 2km north of a side road heading to the Tweedie junction. On this occasion, he was masquerading as the chauffeur of a white friend, when their car was stopped on the old Howick road, apparently because of a tip-off. A memorial unveiled by Mandela himself in 1996 marks the unassuming spot, amid farmland between a railway line and the road.

Hugging the border with Lesotho, South Africa’s premier mountain wilderness is mostly a vast national park officially known as the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park. The tallest range in Southern Africa, the “Dragon Mountains” (or, in Zulu, the “barrier of spears”) reach their highest peaks along the border with Lesotho. The range is actually an escarpment separating a high interior plateau from the coastal lowlands of KwaZulu-Natal. Although this is a continuation of the same escarpment that divides the Mpumalanga highveld from the game-rich lowveld of the Kruger National Park and continues into the northern section of the Eastern Cape, when people talk of the Berg, they invariably mean the range in KwaZulu-Natal.

For elating scenery – massive spires, rock buttresses, wide grasslands, glorious waterfalls, rivers, pools and fern-carpeted forests – the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg is unrivalled. Wild and unpopulated, it’s a paradise for hiking. One of the richest San rock-art repositories in the world, the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg is also a World Heritage Site, with more than six hundred recorded sites hidden all over the mountains (three easily accessible ones are at Giant’s Castle, Injisuthi and Kamberg), featuring more than 22,000 individual paintings by the original inhabitants of the area.

The park is hemmed in by rural African areas – former “homeland” territory, unsignposted and unnamed on many maps, but interesting to drive through for a slice of traditional Zulu life complete with beehive-shaped huts. Visitors to the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg can stay either in the self-catering and camping options provided by KZN Wildlife, or in hotels or backpacker hostels outside the park (the most feasible option if you don’t have your own transport). As for the weather, summers are warm but wet; expect both dramatic thunderstorms and misty days that block out the views. Winters tend to be dry, sunny and chilly, with freezing nights and, on the high peaks, occasional snow. The best times for hiking are spring and autumn. As the weather can change rapidly at any time of year, always take sufficient clothing and food.

The Southern Drakensberg

While the southern section of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg lacks some of the drama and varied landscape found further north, it does have an outstanding highlight: the hair-raising Sani Pass into Lesotho, a precipitous series of hairpins that twist to the top of the escarpment, the highest point in Southern Africa reachable on wheels. It is easily one of the most beautiful drives in the country, offering breathtaking views from the top on clear days. The area offers lots of good hiking as well, and several local operators organize pony trekking in the mountains just across the border.

SANI PASS is the only place in the KwaZulu-Natal Ukhahlamba Drakensberg range where you can actually drive up the mountains using the only road from KwaZulu-Natal into Lesotho, connecting to the tiny highland outpost of Mokhotlong. It’s the pass itself, zigzagging into the clouds, that draws increasing numbers into the High Berg.

Hiking in the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg

Whether you choose to take your time on easy walks or embark on a challenging three- or four-day trip into the mountains, hiking in the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg remains one of South Africa’s top wilderness experiences. The marvel of setting out on foot in these mountains is that you’re unlikely to encounter vehicles, settlements, or even other people, and the scenery is sublime.

The Ukhahlamba Drakensberg is divided into the High Berg and Little Berg, according to altitude. In the High Berg, you’re in the land of spires and great rock buttresses, where the only places to sleep are in caves or, in some areas, huts. You’ll need to be totally self-sufficient and obey wilderness rules, taking a trowel and toilet paper with you and not fouling natural water with anything – which means carrying water away from the streams to wash in. Both mountaineers’ huts and caves must be booked with the KZN Wildlife office you start out from, and you’ll also need to write down your route details in the mountain register. Slogging up the passes to the top of the mountains requires a high degree of fitness, some hiking experience and a companion or guide who knows the terrain.

The Little Berg, with its gentler summits, rivers, rock paintings, valleys and forests, is equally remote and beautiful. It’s also easier (and safer) to explore if you’re of average fitness. If you don’t want to carry a backpack and sleep in caves or huts, it’s feasible to base yourself at one of the KZN Wildlife camps and set out on day hikes, of which there are endless choices. It’s also possible to do a two-day walk from one of the camps, spending one night in a cave. Two excellent bases for walking are Injisuthi in the Giant’s Castle Game Reserve, or Thendele in the Royal KwaZulu-Natal National Park. With extensive grasslands, the Southern Berg is the terrain of the highly recommended Giant’s Cup Hiking Trail, an exhilarating introduction to the mountains.

The San and their rock paintings

Southern Africa’s earliest inhabitants and the most direct descendants of the late Stone Age, the San, or Bushmen, lived in the caves and shelters of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg for thousands of years before the arrival of the Nguni people and later the white farmers. There is still some disagreement over what to call these early hunter-gatherers. Many liberal writers use the word "Bushmen" in a strictly non-pejorative sense – though the word was originally deeply insulting. Several historians and anthropologists have plumped for "San", but as the term refers to a language group and not a culture, this isn’t strictly accurate either. Since there is no agreed term, you’ll find both words used in this book.

The San hunted and gathered on the subcontinent for a considerable period – paintings in Namibia date back 25,000 years. In the last two thousand years, the southward migration of Bantu-speaking farmers forced change on the San, but there is evidence that the two groups were able to live side by side. However, serious tensions arose when the white settlers began to annex lands for hunting and farming. As the San started to take cattle from farmers, whites came to regard these people as vermin; they felt free to hunt the San in genocidal campaigns in the Cape, and later in other areas, including the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg, until they were wiped off the South African map.

San artists were also shamans, and their paintings of hunting, dancing and animals mostly depict their religious beliefs rather than realistic narratives of everyday life in the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg. It’s difficult to date the paintings with accuracy, but the oldest are likely to be at least 800 years old (although Bushmen lived in the area for thousands of years before that) and the most recent are believed to have been painted after the arrival of the whites towards the end of the nineteenth century. However, it’s easy and rewarding to pick out some of the most significant elements in San paintings. The medicine or trance dance – journeying into the spiritual world in order to harness healing power – was the Bushmen’s most important religious ritual and is depicted in much of their art. Look out for the postures the shamans adopted during the dance, including arms outstretched behind them, bending forward, kneeling, or pointing fingers. Dots along the spine often relate to the sensation of energy boiling upwards, while lines on faces or coming out of the nose usually depict nosebleeds – a common side effect of the trance state. Other feelings experienced in trance, such as that of elongation, attenuation or the sensation of flight, are expressed by feathers or streamers. The depictions of horses, cattle and white settlers, particularly in the Southern Berg, mark the end of the traditional way of life for the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Bushmen, and it is possible that the settlers were painted by shamans as a supernatural technique to try to ward off their all-too-real bullets.

To enter the spirit world, shamans often tapped into the spiritual power of certain animals. You’ll see the spiral-horned eland depicted in every cave – not because these antelope were prolific in the Berg, but because they were considered to have more power than any other animal. Sometimes the elands are painted in layers to increase their spiritual potency. In the caves open to the public, you can see depictions of human-like figures in the process of transforming into their power animal. Besides antelope, other animals associated with trance are honeybees, felines, snakes and sometimes elephants and rhinos.

Paintings weather and fade, and many have been vandalized. Well-meaning people dabbing water on them to make them clearer, or touching them, has also caused them to disappear – so never be tempted. One of the best and most up-to-date introductions to rock art is the slim booklet by David Lewis-Williams, Rock Paintings of the Natal Drakensberg, available from most decent bookshops in the area.

Giant’s Cup Hiking Trail

The 60km, five-day Giant’s Cup Hiking Trail (R75 per person per night, includes entrance fee to the reserve), part of which traverses a depression that explains the trail’s name, is the only laid-out trail in the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg. It starts at the Sani Pass road, then leads through the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg and winds past eroded sandstone formations, overhangs with San paintings, grassy plains and beautiful valleys with river pools to swim in. No single day’s hike is longer than 14km and, although there are some steep sections, this is not a difficult trail – you need to be fit to enjoy it, but not an athlete.

The mountain huts at the five overnight stops have running water, toilets, tables and benches, and bunks with mattresses. It’s essential to bring a camping stove, food and a sleeping bag. The trail can be shortened by missing the first day and starting out at Pholela Hut, an old farmhouse where you spend the night, then terminating one day earlier at Swiman Hut close to the KZN Wildlife office at Garden Castle. You can also lengthen the trail by spending an extra night at Bushmen’s Nek Hut, in an area with numerous caves and rock-art sites.

The trail is restricted to thirty people per day and tends to get booked out during holiday periods; bookings should be made through KZN Wildlife ( kznwildlife.com ), where you can also get a map and a trail booklet.

In startling contrast to the intensively developed 250km ribbon of coastline which runs north and south of Durban , the seaboard to the north of the Dolphin Coast drifts off into some of the wildest and most breathtaking sea frontage in South Africa – an area known as the Elephant Coast.

If you’ve travelled along the Garden Route and wondered where stereotypical Africa was, the answer is right here, in the northern reaches of the Elephant Coast – traditionally known as Maputaland – with its tight patchwork of wilderness and ancestral African lands. In this area hemmed in by Swaziland and Mozambique, traditional life continues: for example, there is one nyanga (traditional healer) for every 550 people, compared with one Western-style doctor to 18,000 people. Access can be difficult; St Lucia, Sodwana Bay and Kwa-Ngwanase are both reachable via tarred roads from the N2, but you’ll still need a 4WD vehicle to visit any of the other idyllic spots along the Elephant Coast’s 200km of virtually uninterrupted beachfront.

Further south, less than three hours’ drive north on the N2 from Durban , is the big game country of Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, which rivals even the Kruger National Park for beautiful wilderness. Drive the same distance, but turn right instead of left at the Mtubatuba junction, and you’ll hit the southernmost extent of South Africa’s most satisfyingly “tropical” coast. It’s protected all the way up to Mozambique by the country’s third-largest protected area, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (which includes Lake St Lucia, Cape Vidal, Charter’s Creek, False Bay Park, Mkhuze Game Reserve, Sodwana Bay , Lake Sibaya and Kosi Bay). This 2750-square-kilometre patchwork encompasses wetland reserve, marine sanctuaries, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and some outstanding scuba diving and fishing opportunities around Sodwana Bay . The coast gets remoter and more exhilarating the further north you head, with one of South Africa’s best upmarket beachside stays near Mozambique at Kosi Bay. Note that the northern KwaZulu-Natal coastal region is malarial.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is KwaZulu-Natal’s most outstanding game reserve, considered by some even better than Kruger. While it certainly can’t match Kruger’s sheer scale (Hluhluwe is a twentieth of the size) or its teeming game populations, its relatively compact 960 square kilometres have a wilder feel. This has something to do with the fact that, apart from Hilltop, an elegant hotel-style restcamp in the northern half of the park, none of the other restcamps is fenced off, and wild animals are free to wander through. The vegetation, with subtropical forest in places, adds to the sense of adventure. The park also offers the best trails in the country.

The park used to be two distinct entities - hence its tongue-twisting double-barrelled name (pronounced something like "shla-shloo-wee-oom-fa-low-zee") - and the two sections retain their separate characters, reinforced by a public road slicing between them. The southern Imfolozi section takes its name from a corruption of mfulawozi, a Zulu word that refers to the fibrous bushes that grow along its rivers. The topography here is characterized by wide, deep valleys incised by the Black and White Imfolozi rivers, with altitudes varying between 60 and 650 metres. Luxuriant riverine vegetation gives way in drier areas to a variety of woodland, savannah, thickets and grassy plains. The notable feature of the northern Hluhluwe section is the river of the same name, a slender, slithering waterway, punctuated by elongated pools. The Hluhluwe rises in the mountains north of the park and passes along sandbanks, rock beds and steep cliffs in the game reserve before seeping away into Lake St Lucia to the east. The higher ground is covered by veld and dense thicket, while the well-watered ridges support the softer cover of ferns, lichens, mosses and orchids.

Game viewing and activities in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi

Despite its compact size, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is home to 84 mammal species and close to 350 varieties of birds. The Big Five are all here, and it’s no exaggeration to say that this is the best place in the world to see rhinos, both black and white. Extinct in Imfolozi until 1958, lions have been reintroduced, and today they number around seventy, although they’re not easy to see and their future hangs in the balance. Other predators present are cheetah, spotted hyena and wild dog. Herbivores include blue wildebeest, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, impala, kudu, nyala and zebra. When it comes to birds, there are over a dozen species of eagle, as well as other raptors including hawks, goshawks and honey buzzards. Other larger birds include ground hornbills, vultures, owls and herons. Reptile species number in the sixties, including crocodiles and several types of venomous snake, none of which you’re likely to see. Along the Hluhluwe River, keep an eye open for the harmless monitor lizards.

Where Hluhluwe-Imfolozi really scores over the Kruger is in the variety of activities on offer. Apart from self-driving around the park, there are also self-guided walks near several of the restcamps, guided trails in the company of an armed field ranger, guided night drives and a boat trip on the Hluhluwe Dam. South Africa’s first wilderness trail started in Imfolozi, and the reserve has remained the best place in South Africa for these (all are available from mid-March to mid-Dec). The three-night Base Camp trail involves day walks in the Wilderness Area, with nights spent at the Mndindini Trails camp not far from Mpila; the three-night Primitive trail departs from Mpila and requires you to carry your own gear and sleep under the stars, wherever the ranger chooses; and the Short Wilderness trail starts and ends at Mpila. On all of these trails, which must be booked through the KZN Wildlife, you’ll be accompanied by an armed ranger; and all gear – including linen and food – is included in the price.

Lake St Lucia

The most striking feature of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park is the 360-square-kilometre Lake St Lucia, South Africa’s largest inland body of water, formed 25,000 years ago when the oceans receded. The lake is flanked by mountainous dunes covered by forest and grassland, whose peaks soar to an astonishing 200m above the beach to form a slender rampart against the Indian Ocean. Aside from the lake and dune ecosystems, the reserve protects a marine zone of warm tropical seas, coral reefs and endless sandy beaches; the papyrus and reed wetland of the Mkhuze swamps, on the north of the lake; and, on the western shore, dry savannah and thornveld. Any one of these would justify conservation, but their confluence around the lake makes this a world-class wilderness. The real prize of the area is Cape Vidal inside the wetland park, though the limited accommodation there may necessitate your making a day-trip from St Lucia town.

Also known as Maputaland, the extreme northeast section of the Elephant Coast is the remotest tract of South Africa, mostly accessible only along dirt roads that work their tortuous way to the coast. The quickest way of reaching this area is from Hluhluwe village, where a tarred road, the R22, strikes north for some 150km, passing Sodwana Bay and terminating near Kosi Bay and the Mozambique border. Another road, 11km north of Mkhuze village, snakes north and then east for 133km, eventually connecting with the R22 about 40km south of Kosi Bay. This road gives access to the border village of Ingwavuma, home to a Zulu festival and the base for some excellent hikes, as well as the Ndumo Game Reserve and Tembe Elephant Park, both reserves reaching down from the Mozambique border.

Sea turtles from as far afield as Malindi in Kenya (3500km to the north) and Cape Agulhas (2000km west along the South African coastline) come ashore on the beaches of the northern Elephant Coast every year between October and February to lay their eggs. The turtles have survived virtually unchanged for almost a hundred million years and it’s reckoned that loggerhead turtles have been using Maputaland’s beaches to lay their eggs for 60,000 years.

It is believed that the turtles are lured onto the shore by a hormone that oozes from the beach, a scent that they follow and which is thought to have been programmed into their subconscious while they were themselves in their eggs. The myopic turtle, whose eyes are adapted to underwater vision, pulls herself along the beach in the dark until she encounters an obstruction such as a bank or a log, where she begins digging a pit using her front flippers until she has scooped out a nest big enough to hold her own volume. She then digs a flask-shaped hole about 50cm deep and lays her eggs into this, a process which takes about ten minutes. The turtle fills the hole with sand using her front flippers, disguising the place where the eggs are stored, and returns to the sea. After about two months the eggs hatch, and the entire clutch of hatched turtles will simultaneously race down the beach. Once in the ocean, the hatchlings swim out to sea where they are carried away by the Agulhas current into the Atlantic or along the Indian Ocean coast. Only one in five hundred will survive to return.

The whole of the northern Elephant Coast is excellent for spotting loggerhead and leatherback turtles, with Rocktail Bay probably the best spot of all. As the turtles are easily disturbed, only a few licensed operators are allowed to escort visitors to watch the turtles at night.

Central Zululand – the Zulu heartland – radiates out from the unlovely modern town of Ulundi, some 30km west of the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. At the height of its influence in the 1820s and 1830s, under King Shaka, the core of the Zulu state lay between the Black Imfolozi River in the north and the Tugela River in the south, which discharges into the Indian Ocean roughly 100km north of Durban .

Contained in a relatively small area to the west of the heartland is a series of nineteenth-century battlefield sites, where Zulus and Boers, then Zulus and the British, and finally Boers and Brits came to blows. Don’t attempt to visit this area on your own: all you’ll see is empty veld with a few memorials. Far better is to join a tour with one of the several excellent guides who make it their business to bring the region’s dramatic history alive (see Battlefield guides).

Don’t expect to see “tribal” people who conform to the Zulu myth outside theme parks like Shakaland, near Eshowe. Traditional dress and the traditional lifestyle are largely a nineteenth-century phenomenon, deliberately smashed by the British a century ago when they imposed a poll tax that had to be paid in cash – thus ending Zulu self-sufficiency, generating urbanization and forcing the Africans into the modern industrial economy, where they were needed as workers.

You will find beautiful Zulu crafts in this part of the country, the best examples being in museums such as the little-known but outstanding Vukani Zulu Cultural Museum in Eshowe. Also worth checking out is the reconstructed royal enclosure of Cetshwayo, the last king of the independent Zulu, at Ondini, near Ulundi.

Brief history

The truth behind the Zulus is difficult to separate from the mythology, which was fed by the Zulus themselves as well as white settlers. Accounts of the Zulu kingdom in the 1820s rely heavily on the diaries of the two adventurers, Henry Fynn and Nathaniel Isaacs, who portrayed King Shaka as a mercurial and bloodthirsty tyrant who killed his subjects willy-nilly for a bit of fun. In a letter from Isaacs to Fynn, uncovered in the 1940s, Isaacs encourages his friend to depict the Zulu kings as “bloodthirsty as you can, and describe frivolous crimes people lose their lives for. It all tends to swell up the work and make it interesting.”

A current debate divides historians about the real extent of the Zulu empire during the nineteenth century. What we do know is that in the 1820s Shaka consolidated a state that was one of the most powerful political forces on the subcontinent, and that internal dissent to his rule culminated in his assassination by his half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana in 1828.

In the 1830s, pressure from whites exacerbated internal tensions in the Zulu state, and reached a climax when a relatively small party of Boers defeated Dingane’s army at Blood River. This led to a split in the Zulu state, with one half following King Mpande, and collapse threatened when Mpande’s sons Mbuyazi and Cetshwayo led opposing forces in a pitched battle for the succession. Cetshwayo emerged victorious and successfully set about rebuilding the state, but too late. Seeing a powerful Zulu state as a threat to a confederated South Africa under British control, the British high commissioner, Sir Bartle Frere, delivered a Hobson’s choice of an ultimatum on the banks of the Tugela River, demanding that Cetshwayo should dismantle his polity or face invasion.

In January 1879, the British army crossed the Tugela and suffered a humiliating disaster at Isandlwana – the British army’s worst defeat ever at the hands of native armies – only for the tide to turn that same evening when just over a hundred British soldiers repulsed a force of between three- and four thousand Zulus at Rorke’s Drift. By the end of July, Zulu independence had been snuffed, when the British lured the reluctant (and effectively already broken) Zulus, who were now eager for peace, into battle at Ulundi. The British set alight Cetshwayo’s capital at Ondini – a fire that blazed for four days – and the king was taken prisoner and held in the Castle in Cape Town.

ULUNDI is the former capital of the KwaZulu Bantustan and lies at the centre of the eMakhosini Valley (Valley of the Kings). The latter holds a semi-mythical status among Zulu nationalists as the birthplace of the Zulu state and the area where several of its founding fathers lived and are now buried. A memorial to them was erected in 2003, the Spirit of eMakhosini, on a hill 3km up the R34, beyond the junction with the R66 for Ulundi. The circular memorial is surrounded by seven large aluminium horns representing the kings that came before Shaka, while in the centre is an impressive 600-litre bronze traditional beer pot.

The Battle of Ulundi Memorial, just outside town on the tarred road to the Cengeni Gate of the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, is the poignant spot marking the final defeat of the Zulus. An understated small stone structure with a silver dome houses a series of plaques listing all the regiments on both sides involved in the last stand of the Zulus on July 4, 1879. The rectangular park around the memorial marks the site of the hollow square formation adopted by the British infantry and supported to devastating effect by seven- and nine-pounder guns.

Ondini Historical Reserve

By far the most interesting sight around here is the Ondini Historical Reserve, which houses the reconstruction of the royal residence of King Cetshwayo, a site museum and a cultural museum. After the decisive Battle of Ulundi, the royal residence at Ondini was razed to the ground and Cetshwayo was captured. Still puzzled by Britain’s actions, Cetshwayo wrote to the British governor in 1881 from his exile at the Castle in Cape Town: "I have done you no wrong, therefore you must have some other object in view in invading my land." The isigodlo, or royal enclosure, has been partially reconstructed with traditional Zulu beehive huts that you can wander round, while the site museum has a model showing the full original arrangement. Among the items in the Cultural Museum is a major bead collection.

Zulu theme parks

North of Eshowe, the winding R66 leaves behind the softer vistas of the Dlinza Forest, the citrus groves and green seas of cane plantations and looks across huge views of the valleys that figure in the creation mythology of the Zulu nation. In no time you’re into thornveld (acacias, rocky koppies and aloes) and theme park country.

Most accessible of these "Zulu-village hotels" is Shakaland, 14km north of Eshowe off the R68 at Norman Hurst Farm, Nkwalini (035 460 0912, www.shakaland.com ). Built in 1984 as the set for the wildly romanticized TV series Shaka Zulu, Shakaland is a reconstruction of a nineteenth-century Zulu kraal and quite unrepresentative of how people live today. However, the theme park just about manages to remain on the acceptable side of exploiting ethnic culture, and offers the chance to sample Zulu food. Tours for day visitors include an audiovisual presentation about the origin of the Zulus, a guided walk around the huts, an explanation of traditional social organization, spear-making, a beer-drinking ceremony and a buffet lunch with traditional food. The highlight, however, is probably one of the best choreographed Zulu dancing shows in the country, with the dramatic landscape as the backdrop; it’s worthwhile putting up with all the other stuff just to see it.

In a different league, Simunye Zulu Lodge (035 450 0101, www.simunyelodge.co.za ),along the D256, off the R34 and 6km north of Melmoth, offers a far more authentic experience of Zulu culture, introducing guests to contemporary ways of life as well as traditional customs. Visitors are conveyed to the camp by horse, ox wagon or 4WD, and get to see dancing, visit a working kraal and meet local people.

There is traditional-style accommodation at both places. Shakaland offers comfortable beehive huts, with untraditional luxuries such as electricity and en-suite bathrooms. At Simunye you can also choose to sleep in beehive huts, or opt for rondavels at a kraal or stone-and-thatch cottages carved into the cliffside.

The name ESHOWE has an onomatopoeic Zulu derivation, evoking the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. Though visitors generally give the town a miss on the way to the more obvious drama of Ondini and the Battlefields, the place offers a gentle introduction to the Zulu heartland and deserves more than just a passing glance. Apart from its attractive setting, interlacing with the Dlinza Forest, the town is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Zulu crafts and has a tour operator offering excellent excursions that take you out to experience some authentic Zulu culture and other aspects of life in Zululand that you would otherwise most likely miss.

Vukani Zulu Cultural Museum

Containing more than three thousand examples of traditional Zulu arts and crafts, the brilliant Vukani Zulu Cultural Museum is housed in a purpose-built structure on the grounds of Fort Nongqayi. Guided tours take you through the huge range of baskets (a craft at which Zulu culture excels), each made for a specific purpose, the finest of which are the ones by Reuben Ndwandwe, arguably the greatest Zulu basket weaver. There are also carvings, beadwork, tapestries and some outstanding ceramics, including works by Nesta Nala, one of the leading proponents of the form. Both Ndwandwe and Nala died a few years ago of AIDS. The benchmark examples here allow you to form an idea of the quality of basketry and crafts you’ll see for sale as you work your way around Zululand. The museum itself sells baskets and pottery by local artists, which far surpass what’s on offer at the on-site crafts shop.

Until the 1970s, DURBAN – South Africa’s third-largest city and the continent’s largest port – was white South Africa’s quintessential seaside playground, thanks to its tropical colours and itinerant population of surfers, hedonists and holidaying Jo’burg families. Then, in the 1980s, the collapse of apartheid saw a growing stream of Africans flood in from rural KwaZulu-Natal, and shantytowns and cardboard hovels revealed the reality of one of the most unmistakably African conurbations in the country. The city’s second-largest group is its Indian population, whose mosques, bazaars and temples are juxtaposed with the Victorian buildings of the colonial centre.

Although the beachfront pulls thousands of Jo’burgers down to “Durbs” every year, the city’s main interest lies in its gritty urbanity, a seemingly endless struggle to reconcile competing cultures. However, most people come to Durban because it provides a logical springboard for visiting the region. The city is well connected to the rest of South Africa, and with the opening of the King Shaka International Airport, the city is starting to attract international flights as well.

There’s enough here to keep you busy for a few days. The pulsing warren of bazaars, alleyways and mosques that makes up the Indian area around Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street is ripe for exploration, and there are some excellent restaurants and nightlife around Durban’s photogenic harbour area. Swanky northern suburbs such as the Berea, a desirable residential district perched on a cooler ridge, are replete with luxuriant gardens and packed with fashionable cafés, restaurants and bars.

Durban’s city centre grew around the arrival point of the first white settlers, and the remains of the historical heart are concentrated around Francis Farewell Square. Durban’s expansive beachfront on the eastern edge of the centre has one of the city’s busiest concentrations of restaurants, a surfeit of tacky family entertainment, and a reputation for crime (which admittedly is improving).

Much further afield lie dormitory towns for blacks who commute to work, including the apartheid ghettos of KwaMashu and Inanda to the northwest. Cato Manor, the closest township to the city, provides an easily accessible vignette of South Africa’s growing urban contradictions.

Less than two hundred years ago Durban was known to Europeans as Port Natal, a lagoon thick with mangroves, eyed by white adventurers who saw business opportunities in its ivory and hides. In 1824, a British party led by Francis Farewell persuaded the Zulu king, Shaka, to give them some land. Not long after, the British went on to rename the settlement Durban after Sir Benjamin D’Urban, governor of the Cape Colony, whose support, they believed, might not go amiss later.

Britain’s tenuous toehold looked threatened in 1839, when Boers trundled over the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg in their ox wagons and declared their Republic of Natalia nearby. Then, the following year, a large force of now-hostile Zulus razed the settlement, forcing the British residents to take refuge at sea in the brig Comet. Capitalizing on the British absence, a group of Boers annexed Durban, later laying siege to a British detachment. This provided the cue for a much-celebrated piece of Victorian melodrama when teenager Dick King heroically rode the 1000km from Durban to Grahamstown in ten days to alert the garrison there, which promptly dispatched a rescue detachment to relieve Durban.

Industrialization and apartheid

While Cape Town was becoming a cosmopolitan centre by the 1840s, Durban’s population of barely one thousand lived a basic existence in a near wilderness roamed by lions, leopards and hyenas. Things changed after Britain formally annexed the Colony of Natal in 1843; within ten years, a large-scale immigration of settlers from the mother country had begun. The second half of the nineteenth century was marked by the city’s considerable industrial development and major influxes of other groups. Indentured Indian labourers arrived to work in the KwaZulu-Natal cane fields, planting the seeds for South Africa’s lucrative sugar industry and the city’s now substantial Indian community; and Zulus headed south after their conquest by the British, in 1879, to enter Durban’s expanding economy. In 1895, the completion of the railway connecting Johannesburg and Durban accelerated the process of migrant labour. This link to South Africa’s industrial heartland, and the opening of Durban’s harbour mouth to large ships in 1904, ensured the city’s eventual pre-eminence as South Africa’s principal harbour. In 1922, in the face of growing Indian and African populations, Durban’s strongly English city council introduced legislation controlling the sale of land in the city to non-whites, predating Afrikaner-led apartheid by 26 years.

With the strict enforcement of apartheid in the 1950s, Durban saw a decade of ANC-led protests. And when it was banned in 1960, subsequently forming its armed wing, the ANC made plans for a nationwide bombing campaign that was initiated with an explosion in Durban on December 15, 1961. Durban scored another first in 1973 when workers in the city precipitated a wildcat strike, despite a total ban on black industrial action. This heralded the rebirth of South Africa’s trade unions and reawakened anti-apartheid activity, sparking the final phase of the country’s road to democracy.

Inexpensive Indian takeaways – all open very early and usually shut by 5pm – abound in the city centre. Little Gujarat, 107 Dr Goonam St, and Victory Lounge on the corner of Dr Yusuf Dadoo and Bertha Mkhize streets are noted for their vegetarian food and traditional sweetmeats respectively. Otherwise, the Oriental takeaway at the Workshop Mall does a hotchpotch of fare – delicious Indian-style shawarmas, bunny chows and curries. If you’re hankering for something much slicker in the heart of town, head to Ulundi Tapas at The Royal Hotel, where you’ll be served light thali curry dishes (R22–35 each; order a minimum of three) for lunch and dinner in a stylish and contemporary black-and-white dining room.

Durban’s huge range of galleries, craft shops and markets makes it one of the best places in the country to pick up Zulu crafts. Traditional works include functional items such as woven beer strainers and grass brooms, and basketry that can be extremely beautiful. Other traditional items are beadwork, pottery and Zulu regalia, of which assegais (spears), shields, leather kilts and drums are a few examples.

The availability of cheap plastic crockery and enamelware has significantly eroded the production of traditional ceramics and woven containers for domestic use. Even so, the effects of urbanization have led to the use of new materials, or new ways of using old materials. Nowadays you’ll find beautifully decorated black-and-white sandals made from recycled rubber tyres, wildly colourful baskets woven from telephone wire, and sjamboks (whips) decorated with bright insulation tape. On the more frivolous side, industrial materials have been married with rural life or rural materials with industrial life. Attractive tin boxes made from flattened oil cans, chickens constructed from sheet plastic, and aircraft and little 4WD vehicles carved from wood are just some of the results.

Although PIETERMARITZBURG (often called Maritzburg), the provincial capital of KwaZulu-Natal, sells itself as the best-preserved Victorian city in South Africa, with strong British connections, little of its colonial heritage remains. It’s actually a very South African city, with Zulus forming the largest community, followed by Indians, with those of British extraction a minority – albeit a high-profile one. This multiculturalism, together with a substantial student population, adds up to a fairly lively city that’s also relatively safe and small enough to explore on foot, with most places of interest within easy walking distance of the centre’s heart. Only 80km inland from Durban along the fast N3 freeway, Pietermaritzburg is an easy day’s outing from the coastal city; it can be combined with visits to the Valley of a Thousand Hills along the Old Main Road (R103), or used as an overnight stop en route to the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg or the Battlefields in the vicinity of Ladysmith.

Pietermaritzburg’s Afrikaner origins are reflected in its name; after slaughtering three thousand Zulus at the Battle of Blood River, the Voortrekkers established the fledgling Republic of Natalia in 1839, naming their capital in honour of the Boer leaders Piet Retief and Gerrit Maritz. The republic’s independence was short-lived – Britain annexed it only four years later, and by the closing decade of the nineteenth century Maritzburg was the most important centre in the colony of Natal, with a population of nearly 10,000 (more than Durban at that time). Indians arrived at the turn of the last century, mostly as indentured labourers, but also as traders. Among their number was a young, little-known lawyer called Mohandas Gandhi, who went on to change the history of India. He later traced the embryo of his devastatingly successful tactic of passive resistance to an incident in 1893, when as a non-white he was thrown out of a first-class train compartment at Pietermaritzburg station.

Writer, teacher and politician Alan Paton was born in Pietermaritzburg in 1903. His visionary first novel, Cry, the Beloved Country, focused international attention on the plight of black South Africans and sold millions of copies worldwide. The book was published in 1948 – the same year the National Party assumed power and began to establish apartheid – and Paton subsequently entered politics to become a founder-member of the non-racial and fiercely anti-apartheid Liberal Party. He was president of the party from 1960 until 1968, when it was forced to disband by repressive legislation forbidding multiracial political organizations.

Paton died in Durban in 1988, having published a number of works, including two biographies and his own autobiography. The following year, the Alan Paton Centre was established at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s archives building on Milner Rd, Scottsville (visits by appointment; 033 260 5926). The Centre includes a re-creation of Paton’s study, as well as personal memorabilia and documents.

A tiny scoop in the Zululand Coast, SODWANA BAY is the only breach in an almost flawless strand extending 170km from St Lucia to Kosi Bay. It’s the fortuitous convergence of the bay (which makes it easy to launch boats), with the world’s southernmost coral reefs that makes Sodwana the most popular base in the country for scuba diving and the most popular KZN Wildlife resort. Because the continental shelf comes extremely close to shore (near-vertical drops are less than 1km away), it offers very deep waters, much loved by anglers who gather here for some of South Africa’s best deep-sea game fishing, mostly tag and release. The abundance of game fish also makes for some of the best surf fly-fishing in the country.

When there’s no one around, Sodwana Bay is paradise, with tepid waters, terrific sandy beaches, relaxed diving and snorkelling, and plenty of accommodation. Over weekends and during school holidays, however, fashion-conscious Jo’burgers tear down in their 4WDs, while thick-set anglers from Gauteng, Free State and Mpumalanga come here and drink themselves into a stupor. Thankfully, government regulations now limit the number of 4WDs using the beach as a car park. A gentler presence from mid-November to February are the leatherback and loggerhead turtles, who make their way onto Sodwana’s beaches to reproduce, as they’ve been doing for the last 60,000 years.

The national park takes in the bay itself, while the desultory collection of shops and an upmarket lodge that pass for the town are 8km to the west, back along the Mbazwana road.

Unless you’re a keen angler, the principal reason to come to Sodwana Bay is for the diving off the coral reefs that thrive here in the warm waters carried down the coast by the Agulhas current. The sea is clear, silt-free and perfect for spotting some of the 1200 varieties of fish that inhabit the waters off northern KwaZulu-Natal, making it second only to the Great Barrier Reef in its richness.

The closest reef to the bay, and consequently the most visited, is Two Mile Reef, 2km long and 900m wide, offering excellent dives. Among the others is Five Mile Reef, which is further north and is known for its miniature staghorn corals, while beyond that, Seven Mile Reef is inhabited by large anemone communities and offers protection to turtles and rays, which may be found resting here.

There’s excellent snorkelling at Jesser Point, a tiny promontory at the southern end of the bay. Just off here is Quarter Mile Reef, which attracts a wide variety of fish, including moray eels and rays. Low tide is the best time to venture out – a sign on the beach indicates daily tide times. You can buy competitively priced snorkels and masks (or rent them for R30 per day) from the dive shop at Sodwana Bay Lodge. Here you’ll also find a dive operation offering various diving courses, diving packages and scuba equipment rental. There is also a dive operator providing similar services at Coral Divers.

In September and October KwaZulu-Natal is host to three significant Zulu festivals that until recently were only attended by the actual participants, though it’s now possible to witness these with the Eshowe-based Zululand Eco-Adventures. If you’re not around in September or October, Zululand Eco-Adventures can arrange for you to attend several lower-key Zulu ceremonies that give an authentic, non-touristy insight into various aspects of Zulu life. These range from sangoma healing ceremonies (Wed & Sun), Zulu weddings (Sat & Sun), coming-of-age ceremonies (Sat & Sun) and a visit to a Zulu gospel church (Sun).

In the second week of September, the Zulu King hosts a four-day celebration at his royal residence at Nongoma . The event is both a rite of passage to womanhood for the young maidens of the Zulu nation, and a chance for them to show off their singing and dancing talents. The festival, known as Umkhosi woMhlanga in Zulu, takes its name from the riverbed reeds that play a significant role in Zulu life. Young women carry the reed sticks, which symbolize the power of nature, to the king. According to Zulu mythology, only virgins should take part, and if a woman participant is not a virgin, this will be revealed by her reed stick breaking. A second Reed Dance takes place in the last week of September at the king’s other residence in Ingwavuma.

In honour of King Shaka, a celebration is held yearly on September 24 in KwaDukuza , Shaka’s original homestead and the place where he was murdered in 1828 by his brothers Dingane and Mhlangana. It was Shaka who brought together smaller tribes and formed them into the greatest warrior nation in Southern Africa. Today, the celebration is attended by a who’s who of South African Zulu society; there are speeches by the likes of Inkatha Freedom Party leader Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, along with music and fantastic displays of warrior dancing, the men decked out in full ceremonial gear and armed with traditional weapons.

Held in mid- to late October in Judea , near Eshowe, the Shembe Festival is the culmination of weeks of endless rituals, dancing and prayers held throughout KwaZulu-Natal. Some thirty thousand members of the Shembe Church return here every year to meet their leader and celebrate their religion with prayer dances and displays of drumming.

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Must-see attractions in KwaZulu-Natal

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

The Elephant Coast

iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a sprawling, diverse ecosystem comprised of hundreds of kilometres of beaches, lakes, wetlands and forests to explore. The…

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi is one of South Africa’s best-known, most evocative parks. Covering 960 sq km, it is best visited in the dry winter months (May to…

Just south of the border of Mozambique is Kosi Bay, located within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The coastal lakes and estuary that make up the area are…

Sodwana Bay

Caught between dense forest and pristine sands you'll find Sodwana Bay, a well-loved vacation destination for locals and tourists alike. Popular…

uMkhuze Game Reserve

It doesn't have the flashy name recognition of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi or Tembe, but uMkhuze is a hidden gem of a reserve. Lions were introduced in 2014, but…

KwaZulu-Natal Museum

KwaZulu-Natal

This impressive museum has a range of well-curated displays reflecting a diversity of cultures, including settler history, war records, stuffed birds and…

Moses Mabhida Stadium

Durbanites are proud of their state-of-the-art stadium, constructed for the 2010 World Cup. Resembling a giant basket, it seats 56,000 people, and its…

uShaka Marine World

Divided into areas including Sea World and Wet’n’Wild, uShaka Marine World boasts one of the largest aquariums in the world, the biggest collection of…

Campbell Collections

These collections are well worth seeing. Muckleneuk, a superb house designed by Sir Herbert Baker, holds the documents and artefacts collected by Dr…

Tatham Art Gallery

In keeping with Pietermaritzburg’s self-styled role as a heritage city, one of its finest sights, the art gallery, was started in 1903 by Mrs Ada Tatham…

Nelson Mandela Capture Site

On 5 August 1962, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was captured by apartheid police on the R103 outside of Howick. This would mark the start of his 27 years of…

Durban Botanic Gardens

A 2000-sq-metre garden featuring one of the rarest cycads (Encephalartos woodii), as well as many species of bromeliad, this is a lovely place to wander…

Phansi Museum

Found southwest of the city centre, this museum features a private collection of Southern African tribal artefacts, displayed in Roberts House, a…

Royal Natal National Park

Drakensberg & uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park

Royal Natal National Park is one of the best spots in the entire KZN Wildlife system. The park and its surrounds are full of movie-quality scenery …

Talana Heritage Park & Battlefield

Talana means ‘the shelf where precious items are stored’ – strangely appropriate for this excellent battlefield site turned heritage park. There are…

Umtamvuna Nature Reserve

This reserve is on a gorge on the Umtamvuna River (which forms part of the border with Eastern Cape). This beautiful dense forest has great nature walks,…

Bay of Plenty Beach

At the heart of the beachfront along Durban's Golden Mile. Popular with sunbathers and beach-sports enthusiasts.

Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve

Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve is known for having some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in the Drakensberg. It sits between Royal Natal National Park and…

Ithala Game Reserve

Although it's not as well known as other reserves in the province, a trip to Ithala should be on the itinerary of anyone who is looking for spectacular…

Monk’s Cowl

Hikes ranging from a few hours to a few days in length, rock climbing and panoramic views are all on offer at Monk's Cowl. This reserve lies within…

Tembe Elephant Park

Tembe Elephant Park, which sprawls over 300 sq km of dry, sandy coastal forest on the Mozambique border, is home to around 230 big tusker elephants. Not…

Ndumo Game Reserve

The Ndumo Game Reserve butts up against the border of Mozambique and houses black and white rhinos, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles and many antelope species…

Western Shores

The region northwest of St Lucia Estuary is called the Western Shores, and comprises two stunning lakeside spots, known as Fani’s Island (closed to…

Lake Eland Game Reserve

The reserve has over 40 species of animal and 200 bird species. You can head off on a self-drive (R60 per person) or a wildlife drive (R250 per person,…

Fort Nongqayi Museum Village

Based around three-turreted Fort Nongqayi, the museum village also includes the Zululand Historical Museum, with artefacts and Victoriana; the excellent…

Luthuli Museum

A tribute to Chief Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli – president of the ANC from 1952 and Africa’s first recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace (1960) for his…

Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve

This awe-inspiring gorge is known for its dizzying scenery and family-friendly activities. There are plenty of walking trails, birdwatching opportunities…

Rorke’s Drift Battlefield

Rorke’s Drift Orientation Centre, on the site of the original mission station, is an impressive museum, especially for fans of the film Zulu. The Zulu…

Ardmore Ceramic Studio

This extraordinary gallery was started by artist Fée Halset-Berning in 1985. She trained Bonnie Ntshalintsahli, the daughter of a farm employee. Sadly,…

Highmoor Nature Reserve

Although more exposed and less dramatic than some of the Drakensberg region, the undulating hills of this reserve make for pleasant walks. It’s also one…

Natal Sharks Board

This research institute is dedicated to studying sharks, specifically in relation to their danger to humans. There are audiovisual presentations and shark…

Temple of Understanding

Situated in Durban’s west, this is the biggest Hare Krishna temple in the southern hemisphere. The unusual building is designed in the shape of a lotus…

Eastern Shores

The four scenic routes in the Eastern Shores – pan, vlei (marshland), coastal dune and grassland – each reflect their different features and ecosystems…

Raffia Palm Monument

Raphia Australis palms were first planted here in 1916 from seeds. The idea was to use the palm fibres to make brooms for the prison service, but, as the…

If you ask anyone in the know what to see in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park they'll most likely suggest Cape Vidal. Some of the forested sand dunes here…

Dlinza Forest Reserve

When war approached, King Shaka is said to have hidden his wives in the thick swath of forest that now makes up this 2-sq-km reserve. There is prolific…

Lammergeier Hide

The rare lammergeier, also known as the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), which is found only in the Drakensberg, nests in the reserve. Reserve staff…

Kamberg Nature Reserve

Southeast of Giant's Castle, Kamberg Nature Reserve has a number of antelope species and a mustn't-miss rock-art experience. It begins with a multimedia…

Blood River Heritage Site

The Blood River battle site is marked by a full-scale bronze re-creation of the Boers' 64-wagon laager (an encampment fortified by a circle of wagons),…

Gandhi Settlement

An often forgotten gem of Durban's historic past lies just outside the city in the Phoenix township. Here you can visit the house where Mahatma Gandhi…

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Breathtaking scenery

Top 10 natural attractions in kwazulu-natal - welcome to the gardens of eden.

  uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park 

This magnificent World Heritage Site comprises a spectacular mountain range that stretches for over 200km, offering a nature-lover’s smorgasbord of majestic mountains, valleys, waterfalls and streams to explore. It’s also home to ancient San rock art.

  iSimangaliso Wetland Park

This World Heritage Site extends from Kosi Bay in the north (close to the Mozambique border) to Cape St Lucia in the south. A mix of five different ecosystems, this wetland wilderness boasts a wealth of biodiversity and is home to crocodiles, hippos and the leatherback turtle. 

  Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve

One of Africa’s oldest and most celebrated game parks – the park covers over 96 000ha and is home to the Big Five, many antelope species and incredible bird life. The park is also world-renowned for its conservation of both endangered rhino species, the square-mouthed white rhino and hook-lipped black rhino.

   The Sardine Run  

Known as the “Greatest Shoal on Earth” the annual Sardine Run, which takes place along KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast is a sight to see. Thousands upon thousands of sardines make their way along the coast during winter – followed closely by a number of dolphins, whales and seabirds. 

  The Midlands  

The Midlands region of KwaZulu-Natal has been likened to a typical English countryside, with its rolling hills, green lawns, streams and rustic atmosphere. Picture-perfect postcard scenery and fresh air attract visitors needing a break from city life on weekends and over the holidays.

  Sodwana Bay

Located along the province’s Elephant Coast, Sodwana Bay is characterised by pristine beaches, crystal clear waters and numerous reefs renowned for spectacular scuba diving. This region also happens to be favoured by the famous coelacanth. 

  Oribi Gorge  

This spectacular gorge was created over millions of years as the Umzimkulwana River scythed its way through the rugged landscape. The Oribi Gorge is home to more than 300 bird species and features spectacular scenery including overhanging rocks and horseshoe river bends. It features one of the world’s biggest bungee swings!

T T ugela Gorge 

The Tugela Gorge lies below the source of the mighty Tugela River in the Drakensberg. A popular one-day hike takes you from the lower reaches of the river along contour paths right to the head of the gorge and up a chain ladder to the top of the escarpment. The view from the top is spectacular. 

  Pietermaritzburg Botanical Garden

The Pietermaritzburg Botanical Garden was established in the early 1870s with the aim of propagating and conserving rare and endangered indigenous plants. Apart from domestic varietals, the garden also boasts camphor trees, giant figs, magnolias and swamp cypresses. More than 150 bird species have been attracted by the profusion of flora. 

  The Valley of a Thousand Hills

With its seemingly thousands of rolling grassy hills, this verdant valley is home to the Zulu scoured by the Umgeni River. Way above the river, overlooking the valley below are visitor attractions and craft outlets, along with restaurants that allow visitors the perfect vantage point from which to enjoy the beauty of this part of the country. 

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13 Unique Things To Do In KwaZulu Natal

There are many more things to do in KwaZulu Natal besides visit Durban. Read on for ideas on the best places to visit in this beautiful province.

KwaZulu Natal is one of South Africa’s most beautiful provinces and one of its most popular tourist destinations. It is a spectacular, multi-cultural, subtropical region flanked by the warm Indian Ocean and the striking Drakensberg mountain range. The province stretches from Port Edward in the south to the borders of Swaziland and Mozambique in the north. Although Durban is the most popular city in Kwazulu Natal, there are a myriad of other things to do there and an abundance of affordable accommodation  to stay in.

Here are 13 things to do in KwaZulu Natal

1. hike in drakensberg.

The dramatic Drakensberg mountains run along the west of the province. The Drakensberg region has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its natural beauty and the profusion of San Bushman rock art found in the caves there.  There are hiking trails to suit everyone here – from short strolls to strenuous overnight hikes, all amid breathtaking scenery.

Drakensberg Mountains

2. See incredible wildlife on safari

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in KwaZulu Natal has the honorary status of being the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa (1895). The reserve covers over 96000 ha and boasts the Big Five and many other species of animals as well as over 300 species of birds. Self-driving is permitted or you can stay at a private lodge like Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge , where game drives are included.

There are several private game reserves in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal where you can have a more luxurious safari experience, like the award-winning Thanda Safari .

Elephants in Hluhluwe -Imfolozi Park

3. Visit the historic battlefields

KwaZulu Natal is home to some of South Africa's most significant battlefields, historic sites where battles took place over 200 tumultuous years. Professional tour guides will show you the sites and paint colourful pictures of the scenes that took place in them.

4. Swim at Blue Flag beaches

This is one of the most popular things to do in Kwazulu Natal. There are nine Blue Flag beaches here, of which two are in Durban. The rest are in the South Coast. The beaches are picturesque and the water is warm. Do you need any more excuses for lazy days at the beach?

Pennington Beach

5. Release your inner adrenalin junkie at Oribi Gorge

Release your inner adrenalin junkie at Oribi Gorge, a spectacular gorge surrounded by cliffs, forests and waterfalls. It is also home to the highest swing in the world. You will swing from one side to the other of the 165 meter gorge. Once you’ve ticked that off your bucket list, you can choose between a wide variety of other extreme adventures, like abseiling, ziplining and white water rafting. If you're looking for adventurous things to do in Kwazulu Natal, then Oribi Gorge is the place to go.

6. Cruise on the St Lucia estuary

The picturesque Lake St Lucia , is part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a  UNESCO World Heritage Site . It is one of Africa’s largest estuaries. Over 800 hippos and 1200 crocodiles as well as various other species of birds can be found there. Sunset boat cruises on the estuary are a must-do.

St Lucia Estuary

7. Ride a steam train

The  Umgeni Steam Railway is committed to preserving railway heritage in South Africa There are train rides on the last Sunday of every month to give people an opportunity to experience a nostalgic railway trip, like in days gone by, and to raise money for their projects.

8. Play golf in the South Coast

There is a section of the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal which is also known as The Golf Coast. Golfers (like my husband) can choose from 9 eighteen hole golf courses within close proximity of each other. Enjoy the fresh ocean breezes and the sea views while you play.

Did you know that the first residential golf estate in South Africa was in the KZN South Coast ?

The Golf Course

9. Drink coffee at the world’s southern-most coffee estate

Beaver Creek Coffee Estate in Port Edward is the Southern-most coffee estate in the world. Here you can do a guided Crop to Cup coffee tour, which shows you how coffee is made. Read more about it here .

Beaver Creek Coffee

10. Explore Kosi Bay

Located within iSimangaliso Wetland Park, in Northern  KwaZulu Natal - near the Mozambique border - the Kosi Bay area is a rich tapestry of four lakes connected by estuarine waterways, and surrounded by raffia palm groves, white sandy beaches, coastal dunes and wetlands.  Here, you will be able to see traditional fish traps which have been used for over 700 years by local Thonga fishermen to make a living. Kosi Bay is also a twitchers paradise, and its rich and diverse birdlife encompasses coastal, grassland, forest and riverine birds.

11. Go tiger fishing at Jozini Dam

The Pongolapoort Dam., popularly known as Jozini Dam ,is the fourth largest dam in South Africa. Popular as a tiger fishing destination, the dam supports a huge population of hippos, crocodiles and fish. It also borders Pongola Game Reserve, making it possible to see wildlife while cruising. 

12. Reflect at the Nelson Mandela Capture site near Howick

The  Nelson Mandela Capture site near Howick, South Africa, commemorates the spot where Nelson Mandela was apprehended in 1962. The site features a striking sculpture made of steel columns that, when viewed from a specific angle, forms Mandela's profile.

Nelson Mandela Capture Site, Howick

13. Go on a road trip

There are many spectacular road trips to be done in KwaZulu Natal.  Here are some great road trip ideas from Durban.

Tell me  what your favourite things to do in KwaZulu Natal are...

Read about more things to do in Durban here .

Find the best accommodation deals in Kwazulu Natal here .

Read about things to do in Cape Town here .

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Related posts:

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• Kosi Forest Lodge -an enchanted forest hideaway
• St Lucia South Africa - Where to stay
• 11 things to see at the Durban Botanic Gardens

5 comments on “13 Unique Things To Do In KwaZulu Natal”

We would love to hike in Drakensburg!

I don't know about too many places in South Africa, but I can see why it's one of the most beautiful provinces in the country! There's definitely a great selection of things to do here which is ideal!

South Africa is on my bucket list. I'd love to go on a safari but those battlefields sound so intriguing.

I need to spend more time in KwaZulu-Natal! We have discovered some of these great things to do, but not all. Thanks for the info and great post.

Ah you make me miss my home province so much! I would definitely say my favourite thing on this list is the gorge swing at Oribi Gorge, that was a spectacular day out!

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Wanderlust Movement | A South Africa Travel Blog

24+ Incredibly EPIC Things to Do in KZN, South Africa

April 15, 2021 by Lauren Melnick

Last Updated on March 5, 2024 by Lauren Melnick

This KZN guide was created in collaboration with South Africa Tourism. I hope you enjoy this roundup of some of the best things to do in KwaZulu Natal!

Like its rolling hills, towering mountains, and spectacular coastline, KZN is a province with endless layers.

While Durban usually steals the spotlight, it’s one of the least interesting parts of KZN.

Beyond the borders of Durban is where you’ll find the heart of KwaZulu Natal. The foothills are home to historical battles, while the coastline boasts some of the best scuba diving and whale watching in the country.

Further inland, you can explore Zululand and experience some of the most beautiful and unique vistas of South Africa.

The best part, though?

There is an entire food, craft beer, and gin scene brewing in the background.

I’ve explored different parts of KZN throughout the years, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the province, it’s that it is the epitome of “choose your own adventure”.

No matter what your travelling style, whether you’re a foodie, culture lover, history buff, or adrenaline junkie, there is something for you!

So without further adieu, here are some of the best things to do in KZN!

Psst…Want more KZN travel inspiration? Check out these other posts:

• The Ultimate iSimangaliso Wetland Park Travel Guide
• The Best Drakensberg Hikes That’ll Take Your Breath Away
• Babanango Game Reserve: Where Conservation & Community Meet
• Hiking the Mnweni Circuit: A Spectacular 3-Day Drakensberg Hike
• The Perfect Itinerary for an Epic South Africa Road Trip
• The Best Game Reserves in KZN for an Unforgettable Safari Experience

Table of Contents

Book a Sunset Game Drive Through iSimangaliso Wetlands Park

Dive with sea turtles at sodwana bay, camp on top of the highest waterfall in africa, drive to the top of sani pass, book a whale watching tour in st. lucia, feel the need for speed with a quad biking tour, hike into the drakensberg searching for ancient rock paintings, go on safari in south africa’s oldest game reserve, get a dose of adrenaline at oribi gorge, get your caffeine fix with a coffee tour at beaver creek estate in port edward, enjoy lunch with a view at blueberry cafe along the midlands meander, feast on all things nougat at wedgewood nougat, sip on a g&t or four at nottingham road brewery, taste zulu blonde beer in eshowe, visit the spion kop battlefield in the drakensberg, visit fort nongqayi for a dose of zulu history, stop by the valley of the kings in eshowe, visit the nelson mandela capture site, go on a zulu village walking tour in the drakensberg, get high at the dlinza forest aerial walkway in eshowe, explore the smallest desert in the world in port edward, spot the mysterious serpent beast of howick falls, go on a budget adventure at ngodini bunduz, where to stay in kzn, adventurous things to do in kzn.

Let’s start with my firm favourites. A visit to the province would be woefully incomplete without some of the top adventurous things to do in KZN on your itinerary.

“iSimangaliso? Don’t know her.”

If that thought went through your head after reading the title, I’m stoked to introduce you to one of South Africa’s gems. The wetlands park is our first UNESCO World Heritage Site and stretches from St. Lucia to the Mozambique border.

Over the last couple of decades, iSimangaliso has re-introduced naturally occurring wildlife to the area, making it a unique safari destination.

On the Eastern Shores, you’ll drive past herds of grazing buffalo, zebra, rhino, and elephants and stop for lunch on the beach at Mission Rocks.

On the Western Shores, you’ll find more wildlife like giraffe, duiker, nyala, wildebeest, and more!

Want to improve your chances of spotting game without the hassle of driving yourself? One of the best things to do in St. Lucia is a sunset game drive with Heritage Tours .

You’ll stop for sundowners at a scenic lookout point and get to drive back to your hotel at dusk when the nocturnal creatures start to stir.

Read More: The Ultimate Isimangaliso Wetland Park Travel Guide

Sodwana Bay is one of the top scuba diving destinations in South Africa and one of those places to go in KZN you need to visit at least once.

Time your trip up the north coast right, and you’ll be in time for the sea turtle nesting and hatching season.

Sign up for a midnight patrol with  Ufudu Tours , and if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of an endangered loggerhead or leatherback laying her eggs!

P.S. November to March is the best time to catch a glimpse of the sea turtles.

Read More: The Ultimate South Africa Bucket List: 40+ Amazing Places to Visit

What’s better than hiking to the top of the highest waterfall in Africa? Camping.

Wake up to a spectacular sunrise over Tugela Falls (if you’re lucky, you might see a cloud inversion) and explore the plateau of the Amphitheatre to your heart’s content.

You can buy your camping permits from Witsiehoek Lodge , and while the hike is possible to complete in a day, turning it into a one-nighter is an excellent introduction to multi-day hikes in the Drakensberg .

P.S. I run a Tugela Falls Overnight Hike trip. You can sign up for the waiting list here .

Read More: Hiking Tugela Falls: Africa’s Highest Waterfall

Okay, so the end of Sani Pass isn’t technically in KZN, but the beginning of it is!

Sani Pass is a hair raising mountain pass with death-defying switchbacks that will take you into the Kingdom of Lesotho.

To conquer the pass, you’ll need a 4×4 and a passport. You won’t be allowed on the road without one, and if you do manage to sneak past, the chances of your car falling off the road is pretty high.

You’ll go through a border post at the bottom of the pass and again once you reach the top.

12/10 recommend staying at Sani Lodge Backpackers to watch the sunrise! You’ll get an epic birds-eye view over the spectacular Drakensberg mountains, and you can visit the highest pub in the world.

Did you know that St. Lucia is the best place in South Africa for whale watching?

Yup. It’s even better than Hermanus.

You’ll see higher numbers of whales here than further down the coast and a variety of species.

If you’re lucky, you might spot orcas, sperm, pilot, and humpbacks with their calves all in a single day!

I don’t have the greatest balance, which is why quad biking always makes me break out in a sweat.

While I might not be the fastest driver, I always end up enjoying the experience!

If you want to tackle some quad biking tracks, pull through to  High Stakes  in Cato Ridge. Your guide will take you on a trail to suit your level, and you can put the bikes to the test.

Other activities on the property include:

• Clay pigeon shooting

The Drakensberg is one of those bucket list destinations in South Africa you can keep visiting and always find something spectacular.

Whether you’re hiking the towering Mnweni Pass , summiting Mafadi (the highest peak in South Africa), or conquering day hikes, the views never disappoint.

But inside Giant’s Castle (one of the best places to visit in the Drakensberg), you can combine the mountain range’s meandering pathways with its rich history.

Book a rock painting tour, trek one hour into the wilderness, and you’ll soon find 6,000-year-old art from the Khoi San.

The paintings are beautifully preserved, and your guide will teach you the meanings behind each figure and its importance to the Khoi San.

For example, did you know only women could paint with yellow?!

Read More: The Best Drakensberg Hikes That’ll Take Your Breath Away

I went on my first Hluhluwe-Imfolozi safari in 2019, and boy, did I fall hard.

It’s the oldest national park in South Africa (only 1hr 15min from St. Lucia) and is famous for its widely successful rhino conversation project.

With its proximity to the coast, you get a lush tropical game drive. It’s a stark contrast to the scenery you’d find in Kruger National Park , making it a unique safari destination in Kwazulu-Natal.

Book a half-day or full-day game drive with  Heritage Tours & Safaris , or go on a self-drive.

Read More: The Best Game Reserves in KZN for an Unforgettable Safari Experience

Fun fact:  Greg and I had part of our first date at Oribi Gorge.

We went on a week-long road trip together, and our first stop was going on a game drive through Lake Eland and ziplining past herds of giraffe.

Other adrenaline-inducing activities include:

• The Gorge Swing:  You’ll leap off Lehr’s Waterfall in Oribi Gorge. It’s the highest swing of its kind in the world.
• Abseil:  Go down a 110m cliff face alongside Lehr’s waterfall.
• The Suspension Bridge:  Walk along the 84-metre bridge, suspended 100 meters above the Gorge floor.
• Water Rafting:  Choose from a day trip or opt-in for a two-day water rafting experience.

All these activities are available through  Wild 5 Adventures !

Things To Do In KZN For Foodies And Coffee Lovers

Alright, let’s move onto KZN activities for foodies. 

Here’s what to do in KZN if your number one travel priority is stuffing your face and sipping your way through a destination.

Ever wondered what goes into making the perfect cup of joe? Then pull through to Beaver Creek Estate , the southern-most coffee estate in the world and book a coffee tasting tour.

Led by Jeff Stopforth, the current South African latte art champion, you’ll learn how the beans of a tiny red fruit turn into a delicious cup of coffee.

From growing the plants to harvesting and brewing a bean from decaf to a dark roast.

At the end of the tour, you can indulge in a bottomless coffee tasting of locally grown, signature, and single-origin blends.

P.S. Ask for the sea horse latte art!

The Midland Meander is a foodie paradise. You could plan your whole trip around eating your way through the famous Nottingham Road, and your taste buds will never get bored.

The creme-de-la-creme of the foodie scene?  Blueberry Cafe  on Netherwood Farm.

It’s one of the best things to do in the Midlands!

The property has a beautiful backdrop of the Drakensburg mountains.

Especially the bathroom, seriously, it gets a 12/10 for the loo with the ultimate view!

Not only is the food delicious, but you can also feast your eyes on all the trinkets for sale and the decor. There is something to ogle at no matter where you sit.

Oh, and did I mention there are alpacas!?

While artisanal delights are the name of the game along Nottingham Road, the foodie paradise has a worthy contender yapping at its heels – Howick.

Located on Birnamwood Road,  Wedgewood Nougat  is a must-visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Indulge in nougat ice cream, biscuits, and stock up on a wide range of mouth-watering flavours such as:

• Mint and dark chocolate
• Almond and milk chocolate
• Cranberry and almond 

To me, there’s no better way to explore the Midlands Meander than with a belly full of delicious food and a boozy drink in hand.

The Nottingham Road Brewery offers another one of my favourite things – gin tastings .

For RX, you get to sample 4 different gin flavours:

• Standard gin and tonic with a slice of cucumber

For beer drinkers, you can opt-in for a tasting of their craft brews as well.

If you’re from the UK and a frequent patron of pubs, you’ve probably heard of Zulu Blonde Beer.

Since launching in 2010, the brew is stocked in more than 800 pubs in the United Kingdom!

The brewery is also the smallest on the KZN Brew Route and deserves a spot on any beer lovers KZN itinerary.

Fun Things To Do In KZN For History & Culture Lovers

Want to brush up on your KZN history and learn about Zulu culture? I have some bad news, KZN might have too much to offer to visit in a single visit.

But if you’re up for the challenge, here’s what to do in KZN for history and cultural goodness.

What do Gandhi, Winston Churchhill, and Louis Botha all have in common?

All three of these important historical figures were at the  battle of Spion Kop  in 1899.

Imagine if something had happened and one of them perished? Imagine how that would have altered the history of not only South Africa but the world.

Your guide, Raymond (who owns Spion Kop Lodge ), will take you on an insightful tour, re-telling all the astonishing events leading up to the British going to war with South Africa.

As you learn about the war’s historical significance, you’ll explore the battlefield and see the memorials honouring the fallen soldiers buried in unmarked graves.

For history nerds like myself, you can’t go wrong with a visit to  Fort Nongqayi .

Built in 1883, the fort was never completed because the powers that be ran out of money.

Hey, at least it shows governments have never been good at managing money, even in the 1800s.

Inside the fort, you’ll find the History of Zululand museum, a must-visit cultural attraction in KZN. Your guide will take you through each exhibit, teaching you about the important events and people who altered the course of history.

The thing which blew my socks AND shoes off?

There was a white Zulu chief! John Robert Dunn had 42 wives, over 100 children, and some of his descendants still live in the area. 

The Spirit of eMakhosini is a memorial to the seven fallen Zulu kings buried in the valley below.

A giant traditional Zulu beer pot marks the spot, and a diorama shows the kings’ burial sites.

While you’re there, you can visit Mgungundlov, the Royal Residence of King Dingane (the half-brother who murdered King Shaka) and kwaMatiwane, where Piet Retief and his men were killed and buried.

Of course, this is only touching the surface of the  KZN battlefields route . Some of the other notable sites include:

• Gqokli Hill
• Hlobane and Devil’s Pass
• Rorke’s Drift
• Blood River

It’s time to brush up on your South Africa history, kids!

The Nelson Mandela Capture Site is an important place to visit in KZN for locals and tourists alike.

Our first democratically elected president was driving along the road on 5 August 1962, pretending to be a chauffeur for Cecil Williams. The Apartheid police were tipped off Mandela (who had evaded capture for 17 months) would be passing through and arrested him.

Today, there is a visitor centre and a shape-shifting sculpture to mark the site of his arrest. The museum is beautifully curated and tells the story of Mandela’s life and his 27-years in prison.

Tickets start at R100 for adults.

I’m not a fan of village walking tours, but Elijah from Siyaphambili Tours changed my mind!

In 2-hours I learnt so much about Zulu history and culture, and got to see how a grassroots initiative like this can have such a powerful impact on the local community.

Elijah uses funds from his tours to help with various projects. For example, he has helped build two classrooms made from recycled materials and you can see how passionate he is about his home and work.

Part of the village walk includes a stop at the Sangoma. We learnt all about the different types of Sangomas, how the calling works, and how to spot a fake one.

Off-The-Beat, Quirky And Alternative Things To Do In KZN

While sightseeing in the province is more often than not restricted to the main attractions in KwaZulu Natal like Durban, there is a bucketload of offbeat things to do in KwaZulu Natal that most locals and tourists don’t take advantage of.

Wondering what to do in KZN, that’s a bit more off the beaten track? Add these things to your list!

Eshowe is a beautiful place to visit in KZN, and the Dlinza Forest gives you a chance to explore its beauty at dizzying heights.

…And you’ll get a history lesson along the way…

As you walk along the aerial walkway, your guide will tell you how the famous Shaka Zulu used the forest to hide women and children in times of war. 

The forest is also the final resting place of another Zulu king, and there are various walking trails on the forest floor for your frolicking pleasure.

If you’re looking for lesser-known attractions in KZN to visit, be sure to give Dlinza Forest a try!

Looking for things to do in Port Edward?

The Red Desert is the town’s unusual claim to fame.

Located along the South Coast, you’ll find the world’s smallest desert 10-minutes inland.

The red soil (only 200 meters in diameter and a total of 11 hectares) looks like a mini Arizona Desert. Legend has it it’s the site of an alien landing, but the truth is way less exciting.

Due to overgrazing by some stolen cattle and the wind, the terrain became eroded and led to the area’s desertification.

The entrance fee is R30, and you can buy a ticket by scanning the QR code next to the gate on arrival.

Love your local folklore? Then Howick Falls is right up your alley.

The Zulu people named the 300 feet waterfall,  KwaNogqaza,  which means the “Place of the Tall One”. According to legend, a beast with a serpent’s body and a horse-sized head lurks in the falls’ basin.

While there is a viewing platform for the falls if you want to go monster hunting, opt for the Howick Falls Gorge Walk. It’s an easy hike that will take a little over an hour to get to the bottom. 

Read More: 15+ Wonderous Waterfalls In South Africa That Will Make Your Jaw Drop 

Ngodini Bunduz is a 40-minute drive from Eshowe and isn’t the kind of place you would find in a stock-standard South Africa Lonely Planet guide.

It’s an adventure and games campsite offering everything from outdoor massages, paintball, river tubing, quad biking, and more!

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, you can chow on a delicious nyama choma (the chakalaka here is perfection!) and have a few shots at the on-site bar.

Psst…If you’re looking for more of a party vibe, visit the Bunduz on the weekend!

Here are some of my favourite places to stay in KwaZulu-Natal.

Fordoun Hotel and Spa in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands:   Fordoun is an award-winning 5-star luxury boutique hotel. Expect a delicious menu (vegan options aplenty!), luxurious suites, room service, a spa with saunas, a weightless pool, and all the treatments your heart desires.

Bababnango Valley Lodge in Eshowe:  Tucked away in the foothills of Eshowe, Babanango Valley Lodge is a luxury safari lodge in the heart of Zululand. It’s an incredible place in KZN to spend a night or three. The lodge is a community project and is in the process of becoming a Big 5 game reserve.

Read More: Babanango Game Reserve: Where Conservation & Community Meet

Mantis and Moon Backpackers in Umzumbe:  Stay in a 360-degree glass treehouse with nothing but the lush South Coast forest surrounding your chalet. At Mantis and Moon you’ll fall asleep to the sound of the ocean and be a short walk from one of the best Blue Flag beaches in South Africa .

Read More: 10 Of The Best Backpackers In South Africa

Giant’s Castle in the Drakensberg:  Giant’s Castle Reserve is home to no cellphone or WiFi signal. While you can’t check your emails, you can wake up to the spectacular Drakensberg mountain range and explore the numerous day hikes crisscrossing the reserve.

Spion Kop Lodge in the Drakensberg:  For history buffs, you don’t want to miss out on staying at Spion Kop Lodge . It’s the best place to base yourself to explore the battlefield of Spion Kop and other important historical areas. And it doesn’t hurt the food here is scrumptious!

What are some of your favourite places to visit in KZN? Did I leave out any good ones? Hit ya gurl up in the comments below!

If you like it, then you should put a pin on it! 

About Lauren Melnick

Lauren Melnick is the founder of Wanderlust Movement, Wander to Here and is a South Africa travel blogger. She's been travelling the world as a full-time freelance writer since 2016 and has visited over 40 countries.

When she isn't typing up a storm, you can find her conquering overnight hikes around the Western Cape, rock climbing, and hosting sold out group travel trips around South Africa, Namibia and Morocco.

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Seven Reasons To Visit Kwazulu-Natal

From sea to sky, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) shines like no other South African province – its 600km-long, beach-lined coast is an unparalleled playground for visitors and locals alike, as are the towering peaks and passes of the mighty Drakensberg mountain range. Between the two is an enthralling landscape that tells of cultures present and past, one that is also home to some of Africa’s greatest safari experiences.

KZN’s ‘Big Seven’

Spotting the Big Five (elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo) has been a long-time rite of passage for many safari-goers, and KZN will not disappoint in that regard, with Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Tembe Elephant Park and uMkhuze Game Reserve all hosting these sought after species. Uniquely, the province also offers the opportunity to observe two more mammoth-sized species, the southern right whale and great white shark.

That said, safari cognoscenti know that rewarding wildlife viewing isn’t always about the big name animals, and uMkhuze proves the point, with some 400 species of birds often taking centre stage in visitors’ hearts. Another great example where different species steal the show is iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a Unesco World Heritage site whose name rightly translates to ‘Miracle’ or ‘Wonder’. Within its 3280-sq-km boundaries are five ecosystems that contain everything from loggerhead and leatherback turtles, to dolphins, hippos and zebras.

Epic mountainous landscape

The Drakensberg, or ‘Mountain of the Dragons’, is the tallest range in Southern Africa, and one of the continent’s most superlative places to hike. Let your eyes wander to tumbling waterfalls, bubbling rivers, flat-topped ridges, dramatic peaks, wide valleys and steep escarpments while your legs negotiate the ever-tempting terrain. Trails range from simple walks and half-day hikes to testing treks of up to 12 hours. For those who can’t get enough, there are also multi-day trekking routes.

Much of the range is protected within the Unesco World Heritage-listed uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, which is made up of various South African national parks and reserves. Providing access to some of the most spellbinding scenery, and best day walks, is Royal Natal National Park. There you’ll need some time to catch your breath after your first sight of the Amphitheatre, an 8km-long sheer escarpment that is the Drakensberg’s ultimate crown. Giant’s Castle is another park with epic landscapes – it offers hiking, ancient rock-art sites and a hide to view the lammergeyer, a species of endangered bearded vulture. Between those two parks is Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve, a place for challenging treks beneath the towering summits of the Bell (2930m), the Horns (3005m) and Cleft Peak (3281m).

Cosmopolitan Durban

The city of Durban is more than a base to explore the wilds of KZN, it is a rewarding destination in its own right. The numerous beaches on the Golden Mile, along with the promenade, revamped waterfront and adrenaline activities in the new stadium are all worth your time. And with the largest Indian concentration of people of Indian descent outside of India, the city has a uniquely Asian atmosphere. As you’d expect in a cosmopolitan city, the dining scene is as diverse as it is mouth-watering.

Beaches for every beach-goer

The most famous stretch of sand in the province of KZN must be the humbly misnamed Golden Mile, a 5km-long group of beaches that flank Durban, the country’s third largest city. Each of them offers you something different: reliable breaks make Dairy Beach the perfect port of call for surfing; uShaka Beach’s sheltered, safe shore is peaceful place for families; Bay of Plenty Beach’s sand is the venue of choice for beach-sport buffs to play ball; the waters of Laguna Beach are a speedway for jet-skiing and other water-sports, while those off South Beach are great for swimming; and the loungers and shady umbrellas on Suncoast Beach are ideal for a little sun worshipping.

The 160km section of beaches south of Durbs (the moniker by which the city is affectionately called by locals), is also a haven for surfers, while the more remote beaches to the city’s north are quiet places to seek sandy solitude. For something truly extraordinary, a visit to the beach at Cape Vidal in iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a must. Behind its mountainous dunes are beaches perfect for a dip, and en route you may actually catch glimpses of buffaloes, crocodiles and hippos.

Traditional culture

As the name suggests, KwaZulu-Natal includes the homeland of the Zulu, and the region of Zululand is a place where you can gain some insight into this proud tribal group. While visiting traditional Zulu villages, you’ll not only learn of their history, including that of the legendary King Shaka, but you’ll also observe the challenges facing them today in contemporary South Africa.

If you get the chance, time your visit to coincide with one of the main Zulu festivals. One such event takes place on King Shaka Day (24 September), when countless Zulus make the pilgrimage to KwaDukuza to honour the ultimate Zulu hero. Also taking place in September is the Reed Dance, where thousands of Zulu ‘maidens’ gather before their king at King Enyokeni’s Palace (between Nongoma and Ulundi).

Historical battlefields

The Boers and the British, the Voortrekkers and the Zulu, they all went to war in KZN at one time or another, and the battles they fought shaped the history of South Africa. At Blood River there are two fascinating museums that tell opposing sides of a 16 December 1838 battle, where a limited force of Voortrekkers avenged a previous massacre by devastating an army of 12,000 Zulu. At the thought-provoking Isandlwana Battlefield, monuments stand in testament to the lives lost when the Zulu emphatically dealt the British Empire one of the greatest battlefield defeats in its history. Nearby is Rorke’s Drift, a place where 139 British Soldiers famously fought off a force of 4000 Zulu warriors. Needless to say, a visit to the Battlefields region in the province’s northwest is a must for history buffs.

Ancient art

The Drakensberg region of KZN was a home to the San people for thousands of years, and elements of their life here are still visible in the form of fascinating rock-art sites. At Kamberg Nature Reserve, a three-hour guided walk will take you to one of  the most important galleries, Game Pass Shelter. It was here that archaeologists were able to initially interpret the symbolism used in San art, and thus give understanding to hundreds of other sites across Southern Africa. Battle Cave in Injisuthi is another incredible work of ancient art – it depicts elements of humans and animals captured in what is believed to have been in a state of spiritual trance.

Original Article: Lonely Planet

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The perfect KwaZulu-Natal road trip [A first-timer’s guide]

Planning your first KwaZulu-Natal road trip? Then you’ve just landed on the perfect page to help you with that!

KwaZulu-Natal on the east coast of South Africa is highly undervalued as a tourist destination, and often overlooked in favor of destinations like the Kruger National Park and Cape Town . Having grown up in this amazing province we may be a little biased, but through exploring it ourselves have discovered that this sunny corner of South Africa offers it all – a vibrant and diverse culture, majestic mountains, untamed big five bush experiences and possibly the most unspoiled beaches in the country. Not to forget that KwaZulu-Natal’s winter weather (April-July) is the best in the country!

KwaZulu-Natal highlights:

• Unspoiled sandy beaches and warm water.
• Malaria-free big five game reserves.
• Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites (iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park).
• A vibrant and diverse blend of cultures.
• World-class diving and surfing destinations.

We would love you to come and explore this magical province for yourself, and have put together a list of our top picks in the province to get those travel juices flowing! Our dream KwaZulu-Natal road trip is a circular self-drive route covers 1600 km and takes in all of the highlights of KwaZulu-Natal including the berg, big five bush and spectacular beaches.

KwaZulu-Natal quick facts:

• Summer (November-February) weather is generally hot and humid, with some rain. February is the hottest month with temperatures in the low 30’s (°C).
• Winter (April-July) is the best time of year to visit where the weather usually consists of mild, clear days and cool nights, with temperatures in the upper teens to mid-20’s (°C).
• International airport: King Shaka International Airport.
• Main city: Durban (eThekwini).

KwaZulu-Natal road trip map

Suggested KwaZulu-Natal road trip route for flying in and out of King Shaka International Airport.

Stop 1: Explore the city sights of Durban and Umhlanga.

City life in KwaZulu-Natal is all about the beach. Explore Umhlanga and Durban, spending time on Umhlanga’s beach promenade or hit Durban’s Golden Mile by bicycle. Stop for coffee or an ice cream along the way. Visit some of the area’s attractions including  uShaka Marine World , the  KZN Sharks Board ,  Gateway Theatre of Shopping , the  Victoria Street Market  or if it is a weekend, some of the fantastic craft and foodie markets (e.g.  I Heart Market ) in and around town.

Recommended length of stay:  two full days (three nights).

Route suggestion:  King Shaka International Airport is a thirty minute drive out of Umhlanga, or forty minutes from the Durban CBD. Pick up a rental car at the airport and head straight to your accommodation to unpack and refresh. We’d recommend basing yourself in Umhlanga as it provides easy access to Durban’s attractions with more of a nightlife and range of restaurants to choose from.  Click here to check out available accommodation in Umhlanga.

Stop 2: Go on a watery safari on Lake St Lucia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

iSimangaliso’s Lake St Lucia is a must-do on any KwaZulu-Natal road trip. If you are pressed for time, this is one stop not to miss! The expansive waterways of South Africa’s largest estuary are home to a wealth of fish, bird and plant life, not to mention the highest density of hippos and crocodiles in southern Africa. Take in a truly African sunset from the water, or spend time exploring the pristine coastline and big game wilderness areas that surround Lake St Lucia.

St Lucia town is the ideal base from which to explore this area, and is well-equipped for tourists with a range of accommodation, restaurants and travel and tour operators (read more in our  detailed guide to St Lucia ). For guided experiences, we would highly recommend a late afternoon estuary boat cruise, joining a night drive on the Eastern or Western Shores, a snorkel safari at Cape Vidal or beach and bush horse riding from Bhangazi Gate. From mid-May to the end of September, a boat-based whale watching trip to view migrating humpback whales is also a must. Then take some time to explore the Eastern and Western Shores game sections at leisure, leaving plenty of time to enjoy any of the number of picnic and elevated view sites in the park to really get a feel for the enormous size of Lake St Lucia.

There are plenty of attractions around St Lucia town too including excellent birding from the Estuary Boardwalk and bush trails through the iPhiva small game section. As if this wasn’t enough, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is an easy day trip from town and there are plenty of operators who offer tours through the park from St Lucia town.

Recommended length of stay:  a minimum of two full days (three nights) will barely scratch the surface of everything this area has to offer, so we’d suggest spending closer to four or five.  Click here to check out available accommodation in St Lucia.

Route suggestion:  From Umhlanga, St Lucia is a 2 hour 30 minutes drive via the N2 national freeway and R618 regional road (via Mtubatuba). A bit of a detour,  the indigenous forests around Eshowe  are well worth a stop if you have the time.

Stop 3: Encounter Africa’s big five in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

KwaZulu-Natal has  a number of world-class big five game reserves  that offer unparalleled game viewing opportunities without the crowds of the Kruger National Park. South Africa’s oldest established game reserve, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is particularly special for the role it has played in rhino conservation in the country. There is also the opportunity to  join a multi day wilderness walk through the park  – on foot, sleeping under the stars in a pristine wilderness area is a life-changing experience that we’d highly recommend.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is an  Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife managed-park. There is both self-catering or catered accommodation available for guests and the option to visit the park as a self drive or fully guided experience.

Recommended length of stay:  If it were up to us we’d be happy to be left in the bush forever, but at an absolute minimum you should spend one night in the reserve to take advantage of evening and morning game drives – periods of peak animal activity in the park. If pressed for time, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi can be visited as a day’s outing from St Lucia, or en route from Durban to destinations further north, entering at Nyalazi Gate in the south and exiting via Memorial Gate in the north of the park.  Click here to check out available accommodation in Hluhluwe.

Route suggestion:  Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve is a 1 hour drive from St Lucia via the R618, or a 2 hour 40 minute drive from Durban.

Stop 4: Dive South Africa’s coral reefs at Sodwana Bay.

South Africa’s oceans are full of life, and the range of topography and water temperatures along the coastline offer fantastic and varied diving opportunities. There is only one place to dive on subtropical coral reefs though and of course, that is in KwaZulu-Natal!

Sodwana Bay is a diver’s mecca with dives to suit all levels of experience, as well as the opportunity to blow bubbles with some bigger animals including whale sharks, dolphins, manta rays, turtles and any number of shark species.

For non-divers, Sodwana Bay’s unspoiled coastline is the perfect place to relax, swim and explore and it is a good base from which to day trip and explore  coastal attractions in iSimangaliso’s Coastal Forest section  including Lake Sibaya and Mabibi. In fact, it is possible to drive via the Coastal Forest section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park en route to destinations further north and we’d highly recommend this route if you have a 4×4 vehicle.

Recommended length of stay:  Depending on your interests, anything from two full days (three nights) is great for Sodwana Bay.  Click here to check out available accommodation in Sodwana Bay.

Why not extend your stay and  complete diving certifications during your time in town ?

Route suggestion:  Sodwana Bay is a 1 hour 46 minute drive from Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. Remember to turn off the N2 at Hluhluwe town and onto the R22 that will take you to Mbazwana. From here, follow the signs for Sodwana Bay.

Stop 5: Take a step back in time at Kosi Bay.

Kosi Bay is one of those uniquely African destinations. Visiting the lakes feels like a step back in time; take in the scene of Thonga people at work in their fish kraals while pink flamingos feed in the shallows, hippos laze in the water, and a fish eagle calls from a tree nearby. A truly special place.

While at Kosi Bay, we’d strongly recommend a cruise on the lakes, as well as a visit to Kosi Mouth to check out the fish traps from up close and to  snorkel Aquarium Reef . During the months of November to February there is also the opportunity to join a turtle tour to view loggerhead and leatherback turtles nesting on the sandy beaches. Although the  Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife rest camp  on Lake KuNhlange is accessible with a sedan, visiting the mouth requires a 4×4 vehicle. There are local operators who offer these trips to visitors.

Recommended length of stay:  One full day (two nights) at a minimum.  Click here to check out available accommodation in Kosi Bay.

Route suggestion:  From Sodwana Bay, Kosi Bay is a 1 hour 45 minute drive on the R22. For the more adventurous, follow the 4×4 route through iSimangaliso’s Coastal Forest section and enjoy some beautiful remote beaches along the way, or add in an overnight stay at Mabibi or Rocktail Bay (4×4 required).

Stop 6: More time in the bush at Tembe Elephant Park or EKZNW’s Ndumo, uMkhuze and Ithala Game Reserves.

We just can’t get enough of the bush! Following our KwaZulu-Natal road trip route puts you in close proximity to a number of our favourite game reserves, each with something unique to offer.

Tembe Elephant Reserve  is a community-run and highly affordable big five destination. The sand forests are a unique feature to this reserve, however it will require that you have a 4×4 to enter the park. There is a great lodge to stay at within the reserve offering full board and two game drives a day while contributing directly to job creation, community upliftment and conservation, this will be one of your favourite stops.

In contrast  Ndumo Game Reserve  is a very small reserve just west of Tembe. Alive with smaller game, it is a quieter reserve with a number of special habitats including fig forests and pans that attract incredible bird life.

uMkhuze Game Reserve is one of EKZNW’s flagship reserves and was recently incorporated into the greater iSimangaliso Wetland Park conservation corridor.  Guided walks through the reserve’s ancient Sycamore Fig forest  are truly magical.

Lastly,  Ithala Game Reserve  is all about the scenery, with a rugged topography of mountains and rivers. The roads in this reserve are quite bad so it would be best to stay at the Nshondwe camp and arrange game drives with the camp.

Break up your trip by stopping at as many of these destinations as you’d like –  Tembe Elephant Park  is a fully catered stay while the  Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife reserves offer a range of catered or self-catering options.

Recommended length of stay:  Once again if it were up to us, we’d stay forever, but at an absolute minimum one night with some late afternoon and early morning game viewing will afford you the best chance to spot elusive game.

Route suggestion:  From Kosi Bay, travel time to Tembe Elephant Reserve is 50 minutes via the P522, to Ndumo Game Reserve is 1 hour 30 minutes via the P522, to uMkhuze Game Reserve is 2 hours 30 minutes via the R22 and to Ithala Game Reserve is 3 hours 30 minutes via the P522 and R69. For something a little different that is also in the area,  jump on a house boat and fish and laze your days away on Lake Jozini  (2 hours 30 minutes from Kosi Bay via the P522).

Stop 7: Be moved by the KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields.

“KwaZulu” means “the place of the Zulus”, and KwaZulu-Natal is named for the mighty Zulu nation who under King Shaka’s rule once controlled all of the north-eastern regions of South Africa. No other province has been so pivotal in the struggle for power between the British, Boer and Zulu in the early days of the country, and no region more so than the battlefields around Dundee in central KZN.

All three powers of the early South Africa met here – the Boer and Zulu in the 1830s ,  British and Zulu during the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879, and British and Boer during the late 1800s/early 1900s. This region is the site of military legend like the battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, and  walking the well-preserved battlefields  while imagining the war cries of Zulu and British alike is both an incredibly eerie and moving experience.

Some interest in the history of South Africa is vital to really appreciate this stop, but if this is at all your cup of tea then we’d strongly recommend  joining a battlefield tour  run by the Rattray family out of  Fugitives’ Drift Lodge .

Recommended length of stay:  The battlefield tours will take a full day, so it is best to allow a full day (two nights) here at least.

Route suggestion:  Dundee is a 5 hour drive from Kosi Bay, 4 hours 25 minutes from Ndumo Game Reserve, 4 hours from Tembe Elephant Park, 4 hours from uMkhuze Game Reserve or 2 hours from Ithala Game Reserve.

Stop 8: Hike, refresh and reconnect in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg.

The highest mountain range in southern Africa, the majestic uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountains form the border between South Africa and Lesotho, the aptly named “kingdom in the sky”. This imposing range has been a place of refuge for centuries, and plenty of caves in the area are decorated with bushman paintings and relics.

A visit to the Drakensberg is the perfect place to reconnect with nature and oneself. There are a range of day, overnight and multi day hiking trails for outdoors enthusiasts, or simply beautiful and easily accessible picnic sights and viewpoints from which to enjoy the splendor of the mountain scenery. For the adventurous,  Sani Pass in the southern Drakensberg  region is one of the world’s most iconic mountain passes and a gateway to explore Lesotho, and  the Sentinel Peak hike  in the northern berg provides access to the top of the Tugela Falls, the world’s second-highest waterfall.

There are a number of  Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife managed resorts in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park offering catered or self-catering accommodation.

Recommended length of stay:  Depending on your interests, anything from two full days (three nights) is good for the Drakensberg. (PS – if you want to do the Sentinel Peak Hike, we’re highly recommend staying at  Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge )

Route suggestion:  Because of the mountainous terrain, access to the northern, central or southern Drakensberg destinations is easiest as an out-and-back drive from the N3 national freeway. The northern berg destinations (e.g. Didima) are approximately 2 hours from Dundee, central berg destinations (e.g. Giant’s Castle) are approximately 2 hours from Dundee and the southern berg (e.g. Garden Castle and Sani Pass) are approximately 4 hours 30 minutes from Dundee.

If you’re going to be doing any hiking make sure you go prepared with a good pair of hiking shoes! ( These are the ones Bevan uses  and  these are the ones Jill uses ).

Stop 9: Drive via the Midlands Meander to King Shaka International Airport.

The Natal Midlands is a picturesque farming region just beyond the Drakensberg foothills. This region has become well-known as an idyllic countryside escape and the  Midlands Meander  is a curated route that connects visitors with artists, craftsmen and foodie stops, with romantic hideaways and country retreats tucked along the way. Overnight in this area to enjoy all that it has to offer, or make a day’s outing of your drive back towards Kind Shaka International Airport and stop as much as you can along the way.

Recommended length of stay:  Although the Midlands Meander can be driven in a day, we’d recommend anything from a 1-3 night stay to enjoy the peace and beauty (and fine restaurants!) of the area.  Click here to check out available accommodation in the Midlands.

Route suggestion:  The Midlands Meander extends from Mooi River towards Hilton on the N3 and surrounding regional roads. Mooi River is 2 hours away from King Shaka International Airport.

Still interested in seeing more? Add in a loop down the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

KwaZulu-Natal is a province blessed with beautiful beaches. Unlike the Elephant Coast where the coastline stretches for kilometers with barely a footprint, the province’s South Coast is dotted with small holiday towns that offer endless days of sun, sea and surf.

World class wreck and reef diving is available at Aliwal Shoal, and for surfers, destinations like Scottburgh and Umzumbe are a treat.

Escape to the far South Coast and explore the  strelitzia  lined coastline around Trafalgar, or beautiful rocky points and sandy bays of Leisure Bay and St Micheal’s on Sea. Just inland from Port Shepstone, the terrain collapses into the spectacular  Oribi Gorge  with a  high-adrenaline gorge swing  and plenty of hiking and picnicking on offer, and to the far south, Port Edward and its bridge over the Mtamvuna River is the gateway to even wilder territory beyond…

Route suggestion:  From King Shaka International Airport, the South Coast is a glorious 200 km (2 hour) stretch of warm water and golden beaches to explore.

A few things to remember on your KwaZulu-Natal road trip

• South Africans drive on the left hand side of the road – you’ll want to come to grips with that as soon as possible.
• This route involves toll roads which are a nominal fee (less than R100 per toll booth). You can pay with a credit card, but to be safe take cash to avoid any nasty surprises.
• Visitors can self-drive through the public game reserves, however, you will still need to be very cautious of wild animals and avoid antagonising them by getting too close with your car.
• If a route is marked 4×4, believe it.
• Avoid driving after dark in the more rural areas of KZN. There are a lot of people and animals in the road in some sections so do all your essential driving during the day.

Mix and match the destinations we’ve suggested to plan your perfect KwaZulu-Natal road trip and let us know what you chose in the comments below. And be sure to drive safely. 🙂

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Why You Should Visit KwaZulu-Natal For Your Next Holiday

Often overlooked by travellers to South Africa in favour of Cape Town, the Winelands, the Garden Route and the Kruger, the province of KwaZulu-Natal or "KZN" with its combination of culture, coastline, mountains and game parks is well worth exploring. Here are just a few reasons why we think you should visit "KZN" for your next holiday.

The Drakensberg Mountains

The Drakensberg Mountain Range, or uKhahlamba in Zulu, is the highest in South Africa and offers visitors incredible natural beauty, diverse wildlife and a wealth of outdoor activities including hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing and hot air balloon rides. Accommodation is plentiful and ranges from basic to luxurious. We particularly like the Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse , an 11-roomed hideaway that serves guests a seven course gourmet dinner every night

The Wildlife

KwaZulu-Natal is home to some of the finest game parks in the world including Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, the oldest in Africa. The Big Five - lion, rhino (both black and white), elephant, buffalo and leopard – can all be seen in KwaZulu-Natal alongside a huge range of other game animals including cheetah, zebra, hippo, crocodile, giraffe and warthog as well as rare and exotic species like the nyala antelope.

The Beaches

The beaches of KwaZulu-Natal stretch along 600km of coastline with beaches to match the very best on the planet. There are golden, sandy beaches perfect for families, as well as wilder stretches of coastal wilderness. Family friendly beaches can be found along Durban’s Golden Mile and along the south coast with good conditions for swimming and snorkelling. Further north, the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal are more remote with huge dunes and coastal forests.

The Battlefields

No trip to the province would be complete without a visit to the Battlefields . An area made famous by the Anglo-Boer Wars. The quiet hills now ring with the voices of expert guides who tell visitors of South Africa’s bloodiest chapter in history, of the struggle at Isandlwana where the British were defeated by the Zulu in 1879 and then just days later how the British defended Rorke’s Drift so gallantly.

KwaZulu-Natal’s cuisine reflects its rich history with influences that span from the indigenous foods of the Zulu nation to Afrikaner, European and Indian traditions. The province's most famous dish is Bunny Chow, a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry that you simply must try

You Can Now Fly Directly To Durban

Since October 2018, it has been possible to fly directly to Durban from Heathrow with British Airways. The flight takes approximately 11 hours and operates three times a week. This newer route adds to the airline’s existing twice-daily flights to Johannesburg and daily flights to Cape Town.

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A Guide To South Africa's Flora & Fauna

Julia Melim

Get the lowdown on South Africa's flora and fauna.

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Top 5 places to visit in KwaZulu Natal

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is a province in South Africa, also known as Zululand. If you are a lover of safaris and the African bush but also prefer some beach time, then put KwaZulu Natal on your bucket-list to experience the best of both worlds.

KZN has many high-end private game reserves offering exclusive safaris and amazing wildlife experiences, like the peaceful Manyoni Game Reserve and exclusive Thanda Safari. Near St. Lucia, in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, you can enjoy one of the most stunning beaches with Cape Vidal as one of the best beaches to visit in a protected area. Kwazulu-Natal is easily accessible for most tourists as it has its own King Shaka International Airport, located in Durban.

Looking for South Africa travel inspiration then explore my top 5 places to visit in KwaZulu Natal. All these incredible tourist destinations can be visited on a 10-day itinerary doing safaris and relax on the beach. Durban is a good starting point because of its international airport.

When planning your trip to South Africa I am sure you are also looking for the best way to stay connected. There is the possibility to buy a sim card for South Africa at Johannesburg Airport or check out more ways to stay connected like an e-sim card or an international sim card in my article about the best sim cards for South Africa in 2023 .

1.   St. Lucia

After arrival in Durban, head straight for the picturesque town of St. Lucia as your central base for at least 3 nights to experience the laid-back vibes of St. Lucia town, a safari in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve (45-minute drive) and UNESCO’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

St. Lucia is known for their hippos roaming the streets as soon as the sun sets. So don’t be surprised to see a hippo passing in the street while you’re having dinner in one of the restaurants. This also means to keep your eyes open for hippos when you walk back to your guesthouse in the dark. Because of St. Lucia’s central location, it is a tourist hub for lots of things to do.

Heritage Tours and Safaris

A great tour operator that offers all the best things to do in and around St. Lucia plus accommodation at an affordable package rate is the family owned Heritage Tours & Safaris with their own 4-star boutique guesthouse ‘At Heritage House’. The nice thing about these packages is that it’s all operated in-house with their own qualified guides and accommodation to ensure the best quality for their customers.

Hippo & Croc Boat Cruise

On your arrival-day in St. Lucia, I’d recommend a 2-hour sunset boat cruise on Lake St. Lucia Estuary in search of hippos, crocodiles, and stunning birdlife with kingfishers, flamingos and pelicans.

Lake St. Lucia is the heart that sustains the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and is 80 km long and 23 km at its widest point.

Heritage Tours & Safaris has their own 15-seater vessels (Shoreline 1 and 2) that includes an experienced skipper and ranger that shares its knowledge about the animals and birds of the St. Lucia Estuary. The vessels have the shallowest draft to ensure up-close sightings. Because there’s a maximum of 15 people on the boat, you’ll have enough space to move around when you’re at a hippo sighting.

You will end the tour with an amazing African sunset from your boat. A must-do activity to discover the beauty of St. Lucia.

After the St. Lucia boat tour, go to the village to have dinner in one of the restaurants and look out for hippos roaming the streets. A good first impression of St. Lucia and a perfect ending of your day.

Where to stay in St. Lucia?

St. Lucia offers both budget and exclusive options to stay. A few years ago I stayed in a bigger hotel, but what I liked about At Heritage House is that it’s a small house with only 5 boutique rooms with all the comforts of a hotel; a cozy bed & breakfast centrally located in the center of the picturesque village of St. Lucia within walking distance from all the restaurants, curio shops, boat tours, and bars. Close-by beaches are Estuary Beach, Ingwe Beach, and Ndlovu Beach.

We were given a garden-view room with a patio. The room is spacious with comfy beds, a desk, sitting area, ensuite bathroom, and equipped with a satellite flat-screen TV, Air conditioning and daily complimentary water and fruit bowls.

The boutique Heritage House also has a pool surrounded by a small garden to cool off after a game drive and offers free Wi-Fi. A good à la carte breakfast was included. The staff was super friendly and our guide had a lot of knowledge of the African Bush. Nothing was too much trouble, and I highly recommend staying At Heritage House as your base to explore the highlights of St. Lucia and Hluhluwe for at least 3 nights. With an extra night, you would have more time to also just relax at the beach for a day.

2.   Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve

Early wake-up to enjoy a full-day game drive in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in a 4x4 open game drive vehicle that takes you through grasslands, open plains, and to watering holes.

Hluhluwe is the oldest proclaimed Game Reserve in Africa with 96000 hectares of wilderness waiting for you to be discovered. Expect tar roads, dusty roads, rolling hills with magnificent views and amazing sightings of the Big Five, like elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard.

Other animals that are often seen are the always-present warthogs, various antelopes, African Wild Dogs, zebra, giraffes and cheetah.

During the game drive, you will stop for a coffee/tea break and for a traditional African Braai on one of the picnic spots inside Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve, in the bush felt of Zululand.

3.   iSimangaliso Wetland Park

iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site offering 5 unique ecosystems, with grasslands, mangroves, vegetated sand dunes and pristine beaches. The protected area offers both safari and beach experiences.

If you’re a beach lover or like to snorkel, definitely visit Cape Vidal while exploring the Eastern shores of iSimangaliso. Cape Vidal is a magical beach, situated in a marine reserve, but only a short drive from the game areas in iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The marine life includes turtles, whale sharks, dolphins and whales.

From st. Lucia to Cape Vidal you can choose several loops that lead to scenic lookout points, bird-watching areas and game viewing.

The Eastern Shores section of iSimanaliso Wetland Park hosts elephant, rhino, buffalo, crocodile, leopard, hyena and many other animals, including the endangered Samango Monkey. It’s also the place with the most free-roaming hippos in South Africa, and home to many species of birds.

During lunchtime, you will arrive at Cape Vidal where you’ll have time to snorkel in the protected bay while your guide prepares a so-called ‘Braai’ (barbecue).

It’s also possible to do a self-drive to Cape Vidal. However, I preferred doing the Cape Vidal tour with Heritage Tours & Safaris. Their guides (our guide was Zane) know the area very well, have a lot of knowledge to share, and know exactly how to approach animal sightings.

4.   Thanda Safari, exclusive game viewing

Thanda Safari is a magical 14,000 hectares private game reserve in northern Zululand part of the Leading Hotels of the World and is known for meaningful safari experiences and exclusive close-up encounters with Africa’s Big Five and more.

In Thanda Safari Private Game Reserve  you can find 400 bird species and an abundance of wildlife. Elephants regularly come to drink at the water pool in front of the main lodge; a special sighting offering great photo opportunities.

Other animals you can spot in Thanda Game Reserve are lions, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, cheetah, and lots of birds.

Thanda Safari offers a high-end all-inclusive experience for their guests, with two game drives per day: in the morning and late afternoon. You will go out with a knowledgeable guide and experienced tracker in search for amazing up-close animal sightings.

About half-way on your game drive, you will have a coffee/tea break on your morning drive and a sundowner including snacks on your afternoon game drive.

In between the two bush safaris you have time to relax in your huge villa with plunge pool from where you can watch animals passing as well.

Thanda (which means ‘love’ in Zulu) has a deep commitment to the Zulu Culture and Environmental Conservation. In the past, I was a photography and conservation volunteer in Thanda, and it was amazing to experience first-hand how everyone worked together to give back to the community and environment.

Conservation-minded guests of Thanda can also opt to spending time with the conservation team assisting them with their daily operations or participate in Zulu cultural and community experiences of Thanda’s neighboring villages.

Where to stay in Thanda Safari?

The award-winning Thanda Safari  - named as the World’s Leading Luxury Game Reserve Lodge - offers three accommodation options, each with its own style and atmosphere: Thanda Safari Lodge, Villa iZulu and Thanda safari-style Tented Camp.

We stayed in one of the 9 magical boutique bush suites of Thanda Safari Lodge, shaped like a traditional Zulu homestead. It’s their flagship accommodation where we experienced the ultimate luxury, offering a huge private deck and plunge pool with views of the bush plus a circular daybed in a thatched outdoor sala and a private boma for a romantic dinner experience.

The bush suite itself is huge (220m2) with an indoor lounge area and sleeping area with a double-sided fire place in between. The beds were extremely comfortable and the bathroom - including bath, and both indoor and outdoor shower - was almost as big as the sleeping area.

Breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner are part of the full board safari experience at Thanda Safari Game Reserve. The food is amazing, with enough choices and served on special places, like a candle-lit boma.

The staff goes above and beyond to make your stay memorable. The tented camp is the most affordable option to stay in Thanda Safari Private Game Reserve.

5. Leopard Mountain Lodge in Manyoni Game Reserve

Located in the heart of the Zululand, the 58,000 acre Manyoni Private Game Reserve is one of the premier big five safari destinations in KwaZulu-Natal with a focus on endangered species conservation, including reintroduction of cheetah and wild dogs. In fact, Manyoni was initially formed as part of the WWF black rhino range expansion project.

Manyoni Private Game Reserve is only a 45-minute drive from Thanda; an ideal distance to experience a different reserve in the northern part of Kwazulu-Natal with its own unique feel and atmosphere. No two reserves in this itinerary are the same, and I personally really liked this variety.

Manyoni is renowned for its spectacular game viewing, rich cultural traditions, and conservation history and is a reserve I highly recommend visiting for its harmonious serene atmosphere. What I like about Manyoni is that it’s formed by 17 landowners that decided to drop their fences for the greater good: the protection of our wildlife.

Where to stay in Manyoni Private Game Reserve?

Manyoni Game Reserve has several safari lodges, but I would highly recommend staying at the intimate 5-star multiple award-winning Leopard Mountain Lodge , that was one of the founders of Manyoni Private Game Reserve (previously Zululand Rhino Reserve).

Because it’s a small exclusive family-run lodge with a casual atmosphere, warm hospitality and great service, I really felt at home in this lodge. Having stayed in several hotels and lodges, I prefer a smaller, intimate, more familial lodge like Leopard Mountain Lodge with only 9 luxury suites.

Apart from that, Leopard Mountain Lodge has probably the most spectacular views in Zululand, with views over the magical African plains and riverine forests. You can never get bored sitting on the wooden deck while enjoying these amazing views with the Lebombo mountain range in the distance.

The spacious, serene luxury suite with private plunge pool is yet another highlight of this lodge. In between the two included game drives per day, you will have time to relax on your private balcony. For example, reading a book or watching the birds from your hammock or cooling off in your plunge pool. The suite also has a large outdoor shower with amazing views over the valley.

The staff is extremely friendly and the food they serve is just amazing. The extensive breakfast (cold and hot), as well as the lunch and dinner, was amazing. All of their breads and pastries are home-baked.

Dinner was served in a cozy boma with a fire and candlelights under a sky full of stars. If you’re a lover of wines, you can accompany the African-inspired meals with one of their award-winning wines from their wine cellar.

The lodge has unlimited Wi-Fi to stay connected with friends and family. During your included two-daily game drives, the drinks and some light snacks are included.

Before you head out on your afternoon game drive, you can also enjoy an afternoon high tea with some lovely home-made savories and sweets.

I totally felt at peace in this lodge, and I highly recommend staying at Leopard Mountain Lodge  for the ultimate ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ safari experience. Leopard Mountain is definitely among the top 5 lodges where I’ve stayed in South Africa.

KwaZulu-Natal itinerary for 10 days

After checking out in Manyoni Private Game Reserve, you can either travel back to Durban (3 hours) to catch a flight or extend your overland South Africa trip with Eswatini (linken naar Eswatini Blog)

If you want to visit Kruger National Park after you’ve explored Zululand, consider doing a self-drive from Kwazulu-Natal to Kruger National Park via Eswatini, as driving through Eswatini is a short-cut to get there. From Manyoni to Johannesburg is about 6 hours.

I hope these top 5 places to visit in KwaZulu-Natal helped you to plan your trip in the wonderful Zululand (South Africa) where you can experience the best of both worlds: bush and beach in 10 days:

• Day 1: Arrival Durban - St. Lucia
• Day 2: St. Lucia - Hluhluwe-Imfolozi - St. Lucia
• Day 3: St. Lucia - iSimangaliso Wetland Park - St. Lucia
• Day 4-7: Thanda Safari
• Day 7-10: Leopard Mountain Lodge in Manyoni Game Reserve

In case you have any questions about traveling in South Africa, feel free to contact me through my Instagram @ourplanetinmylens .

This article was written by travel and wildlife photographer Kim Paffen , part of the Traveltomtom team. She also wrote amazing Africa safari articles about South Africa , Uganda , Eswatini , and Madagascar .

• south africa
• kwazulu natal

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